1.3: Prefix

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Prefixes are located at the beginning of a medical term. The prefix alters the meaning of the medical term. It is important to spell and pronounce prefixes correctly.

Many prefixes that you find in medical terms are common to English language prefixes. A good technique to help with memorization is the following:

Start by reviewing the most common prefixes.
Consider common English language words that begin with the same prefixes.
Compare them to the examples of use in medical terms.

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
a-, an	No, not, without, negates the meaning	atypical, anoxia
ab-	away from; from	abduction
ad-	toward, at, increase, on, toward	adduction
ante-	before	antepartum
anti-	against, opposing	antipsychotic

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
bi-,bin-	two, twice, double	bilateral, binocular
brady-	slow	bradycardia

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
de-	from, down, away from	dehydrate
dia-	through, complete	dialysis
dys-	painful, abnormal, difficult, laboured	dysphagia

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
endo-	within, in	endotracheal
epi-	on, upon, over	epidermis
eu-	normal, good	eupnea

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
hemi-	half	hemicolectomy
hyper-	above, excessive	hyperthyroidism
hypo-	below, incomplete, deficient, under	hypoglycemia

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
inter-	between	intercostal
intra-	within, in	intramuscular

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
macro-	large, long	macrocephalus
meta-	after, beyond, change	metacarpal bones
micro-	small	microscope
multi-	many	multipara

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
neo-	new	neonate
nulli-	none	nulligravida

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
pachy-	thick, thickening, thickened	pachyderma
pan-	all, total	pancytopenia
para-	beside, beyond, around, abnormal	parathyroid glands
per-	through	percutaneous
peri-	surrounding (outer)	peripheral vision
poly-	many, much	polymyositis
post-	after	postpartum
pre-	before	prenatal
pro-	before	prognosis

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
sub-	below, under	subcutaneous
supra-	above	suprascapular
sym-, syn-	together, joined	symphysis

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
tachy-	fast, rapid	tachycardia
trans-	through, across, beyond	transdermal
tri-	three	triceps

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS
uni-	one	unilateral