1.3: Common Prefixes
- Page ID
- 93845
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)The prefix appears at the beginning of a medical term and adds meaning to the root word, like adjectives add meaning to nouns in the English language.
Prefixes often indicate:
- Number, such as bi-, meaning “two”
- Position, such as sub-, meaning “under”
- Direction, such as intra-, meaning “within”
- Time, such as brady-, meaning “slow”
- Negation, such as a- and an-, meaning “without”
Common Prefixes
Here is a list of commonly used prefixes. It is helpful to memorize these common prefixes as you build your knowledge of medical terminology:
- a-, an-: Absence of, without, not
- ab-: Away from, take away
- ad-: Towards, to, near
- ambi-, ambo-: Both
- amphi-: Double, both sides
- ana-: Up, apart
- ante-: Before, in front of, forward
- anti-: Opposing, against
- ap-, apo-: Separated, derived from
- aut-, auto-: Self, by yourself
- bi-: Double, two, twice, both
- brachy-: Short
- brady-: Slow
- cata-: Lower, down, against
- circum-: Around
- co-, con-, com-: Together, with
- contra-: Against, opposed to
- de-: Down, from
- di-: Twice, two
- dia-: Through, apart, across, between
- dis-: Apart from, free from
- dys-: Bad, painful, difficult
- e-, ec-, ex-: From, away from, out of
- ect-, exo-, ecto-: Outside, outer, on
- em-, en-: In
- end-, endo-, ent-, ento-: Within, inner
- epi-, ep-: Upon, over, on
- eu-: Normal
- extra-, extro-: Beyond, outside of, outward
- hemi-, semi-: Half, half of
- hyper-: Above, excessive, beyond
- hyp-, hypo-: Below, beneath, deficient
- im-, in-: Intro, in, within
- infra-: Below, beneath
- inter-: Between
- intra-: Within, inside
- intro-: Into, within
- iso-: Same, equal
- macro-: Large
- mal-: Bad
- mes-, meso-: Middle
- meta-: Beyond, changing
- micro-, micr-: Tiny, small
- mono-, uni-: One
- mult-, multi-: Many, multiple
- neo-: New, recent
- nulli-: None
- oligo-: Small amount
- ortho-: Straight, normal
- pan-: All
- para-: Beyond, beside, after
- per-: Through
- peri-: Around
- poly-: Many, excessive
- post-: After, following, behind
- pre-, pro-: In front of, before, preceding
- presby-: Old age
- pseudo-: False
- quadri-: Four
- re-: Backward, again
- retro-: Behind, backward
- semi-: Half, partial
- sub-: Under, beneath
- super-, supra-: Above, excessive, superior
- sym-, syn-: With, together
- tachy-: Rapid, fast
- trans-: Through, across
- tri-: Three
- ultra-: Excessive, beyond
- uni-: One
See the following box for examples of commonly used prefixes in body-related medical terms. Additional prefixes will be discussed in each chapter related to specific body systems.
Examples of Common Prefixes in Medical Terms
- Bilateral: Both sides
- Dysuria: Painful urination
- Hypertension: Excessive/high blood pressure
- Oliguria: Small amount of urine production
- Pericardial: Around the heart
- Tachycardia: Rapid heart rate