Medical
prefixes are words placed before the root word to modify and give a
medical meaning to the word. Most medical terms are originated from
Greek and Latin, while others are derived from languages such as
German, English, and French. Knowing the structure of the medical word
is essential to understand the meaning of the word. To understand a
word, first look for the
meaning of the suffix and then look for the meaning of the prefix and
the root word. Knowing the prefix, suffix, and the root word, will help
to identify a medical word better. The prefix word is followed by a
hyphen in the list below.
eg: pericarditis = peri or around (prefix) + cardi or heart (root) + itis or inflammation (suffix)
Prefix Meaning Medical Word
a- an- without, not, less absence, lacking ametria, apathy, aphasia
ab- from, away from, off abduction
ac- pertaining to cardiac, hydrophobiac
ad- at, toward, near, increase adduction, adrenal
aden- fat adenocarcinoma
an- not, without anemia, analgesic
alb- white, pale color albino
ambi- positioned on both sides ambidextrous
amni- fetal sac, amnion amniocentesis
amph- on both sides amphomycin
amphi- on both sides amphicrania, amphismela
an- not, without, absence of anaerobic, analgesia
ana- up, again, back, apart anaplasia, anaphylaxis, anabolism
aniso- unequal anisocytosis, anisotropic
ante- in front, before, foreward anteflexion, antecibum, antepartum
anti- against, opposed antibacterial, antipsychotic
apo- away, separated, derived from aponeurotic, apoptosis
arch- first, primitive archinephron
axill- pertaining to armpit axilla
azo- nitrogenous compound azothermia
balano- glans penis or glans clitoridis balanitis
bi- twice, double bimanual, bifurcation, bilateral
bin- two binary
bio- life biology
brachy- short, little, shallow brachycephalic
brady- slow bradycardia
capill- pertaining to hair capillus
capill- pertaining to hair capillus
capit- pertaining to head capitation
cata- down, under catabolism
cervic- pertaining to the cervix cervical
cili- pertaining to the eye lashes ciliary
circum- around circumcision
co- with, together coenzymes
col- colon colonoscope
con- with, together conjugal, congenital
contra- opposite, against contraceptive, contraindication, contralateral
cornu- horn greater cornu
cox- relating to hip coxopodite
cutane- skin subcutaneous
cycl- circle cyclical
dacryo- fear dacrycystitis
de- away from, cessation, lack of debride, dehydration
dent- teeth dentition
di- two diplopia
dia- through, during, across diameter, diagnosis, diarrhea
dif- apart, separation different
digit- pertaining to finger digital
dis- separation, to undo, taking apart dislocate, dissection
dromo- running, conduction, course dromotropic
dys- difficult, bad, defective, abnormal dysphagia, dysplasia, dyspnea
ec- out, away ectoblast, ectoderm
ecto- outside, outer ectocardia, ectopic pregnancy
endo- inside, within endocardium, endoscope, endotracheal
epi- on, upon, over epigastric, epidermis, epithelium
eso- inward esotropia
esthesio- sensation esthesia
eu- true, good, well, new eupepsia, euthyroid, euphoria
ex- out of, outward, away from excrete, excision, exophthalmos
exo- outside, outward exoskeleton, exocrine
extra- outside, beyond extradural, extracarpal
fili- fine, hair like filiform
fore- before, ahead foreward
front- pertaining to forhead frontonasal
genu- pertaining to the knee genu valgum
gingiv- pertaining to the gingiva gingivitis
gluco- sweet glucocorticoid
gyn- woman gynecomastia
halluc- wander of mind hallucinogen
hemato- pertaining to blood hematologic
hemangi- blood vessels hemangioma
hemi- one-half hemidiaphragm, hemiglossectomy
hepat- pertaining to the liver hepatology
histio- tissue histology
hyper- above, excessive, more than normal hypertension, hyperglycaemia
hypo- below, incomplete, deficient, under hypoglycaemia, hypodermic
in- in, into, not incision, intubate, insomniac
infra- under, below, beneath infraglottic, infracostal
inter- between, among intercartilaginous, interarticular
intra- inside, into, within intravenous
ipsi- same ipsilateral
isch- restriction ischemia
ischio- pertaining to the ischium ischioanal
iso- equal isotonic
kal- potassium hyperkalemia
karyo- nucleus eukaryote
lacti- milk lactation
latero- lateral lateralis
manu- pertaining to the hand manufacture
macro- large macrocephalic
melos- extremity erythromelalgia
mero- part meroblastic
meta- after, behind metacarpal
mal- bad malabsorption, malignant, malaise
meso- middle mesocolon
meta- after, beyind metastasis, metabolism, metamorphosis
micro- small micronodular, microcephalic
multi- many multilobar
neo- new, beside, abnormal neonatal, neoplasm
nerv- pertaining to the nerve nervous system
normo- normal normocephalic
nulli- none nulliparous
onco- tumor, bulk, volume oncology
oo- egg, ovum oogenesis
osseo- bone osseous
ossi- bone ossifying fibroma
ovo- eggs, ovum ovogenesis
oxy- oxygen oxyhemoglobin
pachy- thick pachyderma
palpebr- pertaining to the eye lid palpebra
pan- containing everything, total pancytopenia
papill- nipple papillitis
para- beside, alongside, abnormal parathyroid glands, paralysis
pauci- few pauci-immune
pector- breast pectoralgia
ped- pertaining to the foot pedoscope
pedo- child pediatrics
peo- pertaining to the penis peotomy
per- through percutaneous
peri- surrounding, around, outer pericardium, periodontal
phaco- lens shaped phacolysis, phacostocoma
phallo- phallus aphlalia
pharmaco- drug, medication pharmacology
phos- pertaining to light phosphrescence
phyt- to grow hydrophyte
piri- pear piriformis muscle
pleio- more, excessive, multiple pleiomorphism
pod- foot podiatry
polio- denoting grey poliomyelitis
poly- many, much polymorphonuclear, polyneuritis
post- after, behind postmortem, post natal
pre- before, in front of precancerous, prenatal
prim- first, most important primary
pro- before, another prodromal, prognosis, prolapse
pseudo- false pseudocyesis
pterygo- pertaining to wing lateral pterygoid
psor- itching psoriasis
pulmo- relating to lungs pulmonary
pykno- to thicken pyknosis
quadri- four quadriceps
radio- radiation radiowave
re- back, backward, again relapse, resection, remission
retro- back, behind retrograde, retroversion, retroflextion
sangui- pertaining to blood sanguine
sarco- muscular, fleshlike sarcoma
scoto- darkness scotoma
semi- half, partly semiconscious, semirecumbent
sinus- pertaining to the sinus sinusitis
sito- food grain sitophobia
somatico- body somatic
spasmo- spasm spasmodic, dystonia
spermo- semen, spermatozoa spermatogenesis
sub- under, below, beneath subcutaneous, subhepatic
super- excess, over, above superimpose, superior vena cava
supra- above, upper suprascleral, suprathoracic, suprarenal
syl- likeness synalgia
sym- before symbiotic
syn- together, joined, with synergetic, syndactly, synthesis
tachy- fast, rapid tachycardia, tachynea
trans- through, across, beyond transurethral, transfusion
tetan- rigid, tense tetanus
thec- case, sheath intrathecal
thel- pertaining to nipple theloplasty
thely- relating to woman thelygenous
therap- treatment hydrotherapy
thym- emotions dysthymia
trans- across, through transfusion
tri- three triangle, trilocular
trich- pertaining to hair trichocyst
tetra- four tetrameric
ultra- beyond, excess ultrasound, ultrasonography
umbilical- pertaining to the umbilicus umbilical
ungui- pertaining to the nail unguiform, ungual
uni- one uniseptate, unilateral
urin- pertaining to the urinary system urination
vagin- pertaining to the vagina vaginoplasty
vasculo- blood vessel vasculature
ven- pertaining to the vein venospasm
