4: Medical Terminology

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Mar 13, 2025
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- 3: Microscope
- 5: Health Careers

Kari Christenson, Western Technical College

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Learning Objectives

Course Competency: Apply medical terminology to lab procedures and practices.

Learning Objectives:

Explain why using the correct medical terminology is important
Identify sources for defining medical terminology
Define significant medical terms used in a health care setting.

Use of medical terminology is embedded throughout the MLT program. In this unit of the Basic Lab Skills course, you will get a brief introduction to the study of medical terminology and then you will expand your knowledge as you move through the program. You will learn the components of medical terms, including prefixes, suffixes, and word roots.

Word Components

Medical terms can be defined by breaking down the term into word components and defining each component. These word components include prefixes, word roots, and suffixes.

The prefix (P) appears at the beginning of the medical term and adds meaning to the word root.
The word root (WR) is the core of many medical terms and refers to the body part or body system to which the term is referring.
The suffix (S) is at the end of the medical term and usually indicates a procedure, condition, or disease. When defining a medical term, start the definition with the suffix. For example, consider the common medical condition tonsillitis. The word root “tonsil” refers to the tonsils, an anatomical part of the body found in the throat. The suffix “-itis” refers to inflammation. Therefore, the definition of the medical term tonsillitis is “inflammation of the tonsils.”
Combining vowel (CV) is typically the letter “o” that helps with pronunciation. A combining vowel can connect a word root and a suffix or two word roots. When a word root is combined with a combining vowel, the word part is referred to as a combining form (CF). See examples of word components in the table below.

Table $\PageIndex{1}$ : Components of Medical Terms

Component	Definition	Example
Word Root (WR)	Core of the word	hepat/itis hepat = liver
Prefix (P)	Attached to the beginning of the word root to alter its meaning	sub/hepatic sub- = below
Suffix (S)	Attached to the end of a word root to alter its meaning	hepat/itis -itis = inflammation
Combining Vowel (CV)	Typically, an “o” is used to assist with pronunciation	hepat/o/megaly
Combining Form (CF)	Word root with a combining vowel	hepat/o

By defining the meaning of each component of a medical term, you can easily construct the full meaning of the term based on the meanings of its components. See an example of defining a medical term by its components in the following box.

Defining a Medical Term by its Components

The medical term arthropathy contains the following word components:

The word root “arthr-” that refers to a joint
The combining vowel “o” that creates the combining form arthro-
The suffix “-pathy” that refers to a disease

When putting the meaning of these components together, the medical term arthropathy means “disease of a joint.”

Definitions of common prefixes, word roots, suffixes, and combining vowels will be discussed in greater detail in the following sections of this chapter.

Types of Medical Terms

Medical terms can be divided into three categories of terms, based on the origin of their components:

Terms built from word components of Greek and Latin origin
Terms NOT built from word components of Greek and Latin origin
Terms that look like they are made from word parts but are not easily translated

Definitions of medical terms built from word components of Greek and Latin origin can be easily identified by analyzing the components, defining each component, and then building the meaning of the term based on the meaning of its components.

Medical terms NOT built from word components of Greek and Latin origin, or terms that are not easily translated, must be learned by memorizing and recalling the definitions.

Table $\PageIndex{2}$ : Types of Medical Terms

Type	Origin	Examples	Methods
Terms That Can Be Easily Built From Word Components	Word components of Greek and Latin origin that are combined to create literal translations	Hepatitis Arthropathy	Definitions are identified by analyzing the word components, defining the word components, and then building the meaning of a medical term based on the meaning of its components
Terms NOT Easily Built From Word Components	Eponyms (i.e., a disease or procedure named after someone who discovered it)	Parkinson’s disease – a disease first described by a physician named James Parkinson	Definitions are learned by memorizing and recalling definitions
	Acronyms (i.e., an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word)	AIDS – an acronym that stands for the disease called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
	Modern language (i.e., terms created in a language currently used)	Post-traumatic stress disorder – a mental health diagnosis created by using the English language

Defining Medical Terms by Breaking Down Components

Defining medical terms built from word components is easily accomplished by analyzing the components of the term, defining each component, and then building the overall definition of the medical term.

For example, see the table for instructions on how the definition of the medical term “osteoarthropathy” can be identified by breaking down its components and defining them.

Table $\PageIndex{3}$ : Technique for Defining Medical Terms Based on Their Components

Technique	Instructions	Steps
Analyze Components	1. Divide into word parts. 2. Label the word parts. 3. Underline and label each combining form.	1. oste/o/arthr/o/pathy 2. oste = WR/; o = CV/; arthr = WR/; o = CV/; pathy = S 3. oste/o/arthr/o/pathy
Define Components	1. Define each word part in the term.	1. oste = bone; arthr = joint; pathy = disease
Build Definition	1. Place word parts together to define the term. Begin by defining the suffix, and then move to the beginning of the term in the order they appear. 2. Add combining vowels to pronounce the term.	1. Disease of the bone and joint 2. oste/o/arthr/o/pathy

When breaking down medical terms into its components, place slashes between the components and a slash on each side of a combining vowel. Notice how the term is defined by beginning with the meaning of the suffix and then shifts to the beginning of the term with the meaning of the word parts in the order they appear. Additional examples of identifying definitions of medical terms by analyzing their components are provided in the following box.

Additional Examples of Identifying Definitions of Medical Terms by Analyzing Their Components

Example: Osteoarthritis
1. Analyze Components: oste/o/arthr/itis
2. Define Components:
oste is a word root (WR) that means “bone”
/o/ is a combining vowel (CV)
arthr is a word root (WR) that means “joint”
-itis is a suffix (S) that means “inflammation”
3. Build Definition: Inflammation of bone and joint

Example: Intravenous
1. Analyze Components: intra/ven/ous
2. Define Components:
intra- is a prefix (P) that means “within”
ven is a word root (WR) that means “vein”
-ous is a suffix (S) that means “pertaining to”
3. Build Definition: Pertaining to within a vein

Language Rules

Language rules are a good place to start when building foundational knowledge of medical terminology. Many medical terms are built from word parts and can be translated literally. At first, literal translations sound awkward. However, after you build a medical vocabulary and become proficient at using it, the awkwardness will slip away. Suffixes will no longer be stated and will be assumed. For example, the definition of intravenous can be condensed from “pertaining to within a vein” to “within the vein.” It should be noted that as with all language rules there are always exceptions, often referred to as “rebels.”

Pronunciation

Pronouncing complex medical terms can be challenging. When learning how to pronounce medical terms, special marking above vowels indicates the proper pronunciation. When you see a macron (i.e., straight line) above the vowel, that means the vowel sound is long. A u-shaped symbol above a vowel indicates a short vowel sound. Additionally, capital letters indicate where to place the emphasis when pronouncing a word. See examples of pronunciation markings in Table 4. Try pronouncing each example out loud.

Table $\PageIndex{4}$ : Pronunciation Guidelines

Guidelines	Example
Markings indicate the proper phonetic sounds.	doctor (dŏk-tŏr)
A macron (a line above the letter) indicates a long vowel sound. Examples: ā in “play” ē in “bee” ī in “wine” ō in “go” ū in “mule”	prorate (prō-rāt)
A u-shaped mark above the vowel indicates a short sound. Examples: ă in “mad” ĕ in “bet” ĭ in “tip” ŏ in “mop” ŭ in “cup”	medical (mĕd-ĭ-căl)
Primary emphasis of pronunciation is indicated by capital letters.	debride (di-BRĒD) dehydration (dē-hī-DRĀ-shŏn)

Categories of Medical Terms

Medical terms can be classified into the following general categories of terms:

Anatomical: Terms used to describe specific areas and movement of the body, as well as the relation of body parts to each other.
- An example of an anatomical term is medial, which describes the middle or direction toward the middle of the body.
Disease and Disorder: Terms that describe deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an organism, generally associated with certain signs and symptoms.
- An example of a disease is bronchopneumonia, an infection of the bronchi in the lungs.
Diagnostic/Procedural: Terms related to the process of identifying a disease, condition, or injury.
- An example of a diagnostic term is transrectal ultrasound, an ultrasound procedure used to diagnose prostate cancer.
Therapeutic: Terms regarding the treating or curing of diseases.
- An example of a therapeutic term is nebulizer, which is a device that creates a mist used to deliver medication for respiratory treatment.

Prefixes

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”

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

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

Word Roots and Combining Vowels

A word root is the primary building block of a medical term and refers to the body part or body system to which the term is referring. Some words contain more than one word root. The order is generally dictated by common practice. As you practice throughout this course, you will learn more about how to determine the order of word roots. Word roots will be further discussed in more detail in each chapter as they relate to specific body systems.

A combining vowel is a word part, most often the letter “o,” that helps pronunciation.

Here is a list of commonly used word roots and their combining vowel. It is helpful to memorize these components as you build your knowledge of medical terminology.

abdomin/o: Abdomen
andr/o: Male
angi/o: Vessel
arteri/o: Artery
arthr/o: Joint
audi/o: Hearing
bronch/i, bronch/o: Bronchus/lung
carcin/o: Cancer
cardi/o: Heart
cholecyst/o: Gallbladder
chrondr/i, chrondr/o: Cartilage
col/o: Colon
cysti, cyst/o: Bladder or cyst
cyt/o: Cell
duoden/o: Duodenum
encephal/o: Brain
erythr/o: Red
esophag/: Esophagus
gastr/o: Stomach
glyc/o: Sugar
gynec/o: Female reproductive system
hemat/o, hem/o: Blood
hist/o: Tissue
hyster/o: Uterus
laryng/o: Larynx
leuk/o: White
men/o: Menstruation
my/o: Muscle
nephr/o: Kidney
neur/o: Nerve
opt/o: Vision
orch/o: Testis, testicle
pneum/o: Lungs
thorac/o: Chest

Examples of Common Word Roots in Medical Terms

Cardiomegaly: Enlargement of the heart

Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain

Gynecologist: Specialist who treats disorders and diseases of female reproductive organs

Pneumonia: Disease state of the lung

Suffixes

The suffix is at the end of the word and adds meaning. When building a definition of a medical term from its components, start with the meaning of the suffix. For example, hepat/itis is defined as “inflammation of the liver.”

Suffixes often indicate:

Procedures: For example, -scopy means “visual examination”
Conditions: For example, -itis means “inflammation”
Diseases: For example, -oma means “tumor”

Here is a list of commonly used suffixes in medical terms. It is helpful to memorize these common suffixes as you build your knowledge of medical terminology.

-ac: Pertaining to
-ad: Toward
-al: Pertaining to
-algia, -dynia: Pain
-ar: Pertaining to
-ary: Pertaining to
-cele: Protrusion
-centesis: Surgical withdrawal of fluid
-cide, -cidal: Kill, destroy
-coccus: Berry shaped
-cyte: Cell
-eal: Pertaining to
-ectomy: Surgical removal
-emia: Pertaining to blood
-esis: Condition
-gen: Substance that produces/causes
-genic: Produced by
-gram: Record of
-graph: Instrument used to record
-graphy: A process of recording
-ia: Condition of, diseased state, abnormal state
-ic, -ior: Pertaining to
-ism: State of, condition, theory
-itis: Inflammation
-logist: Specialist who studies and treats disorders
-logy: Study of
-lysis: Destruction, breakdown
-megaly: Enlargement
-meter: Instrument used to measure
-metry: Process of measuring
-oid: Resembling
-oma: Tumor
-opia: Vision condition
-opsy: To view
-osis: Abnormal condition
-ous: Pertaining to
-pathy: Disease, abnormality
-penia: Lack of, deficiency
-pexy: Surgical fixation, suspension
-phagia: Eating
-phobia: Intense fear of
-plasia: Formation, development
-plasm: Growth, substance, formation
-plasty: Surgical reconstruction
-plegia: Paralysis
-pnea: Breathing
-poiesis, -poietic: Production, manufacture of
-ptosis: Drooping
-rrhage: Excessive flow
–rrhagia: Excessive flow
-rrhaphy: Suturing in place, fixation
-rrhea: Flow, discharge
-rrhexis: Rupture or breaking away
-sclerosis: Hardening
-scope: Instrument used to visually examine
-scopic: Visual examination
-scopy: Process of visual examination
-spasm: Sudden, involuntary
-stasis: To stop
-stomy: Artificial surgical opening
-tome: Instrument used to cut
-tomy: Process of incision, cutting into
-tripsy: Crushing
-trophic, -trophy: Growth, development

Note there are several suffixes that mean “pertaining to,” such as -ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ic, -ior, and -ous.

Examples of Common Suffixes in Medical Terms

Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders
Amniocentesis: Procedure to withdraw fluid from the amniotic sac
Anemia: Low levels of hemoglobin in the blood
Cardiomegaly: Enlargement of the heart
Colonoscopy: Procedure that visually examines the colon
Dyspnea: Difficulty breathing
Hemiplegia: Paralysis of one side of the body
Mammography: Radiological process of examining the breast tissue
Myalgia: Muscle pain

Glossary

Combining form (CF): When a word root (WR) is combined with a combining vowel, the word part is referred to as a combining form.

Combining vowel (CV): A word component, typically the letter “o,” that helps with pronunciation. A combining vowel can connect a word root and a suffix or two word roots.

Prefix (P): A word component that appears at the beginning of the medical term and adds meaning to the word root. Prefixes often indicate number, position, direction, time, or negation.

Suffix (S): A word component at the end of the medical term that usually indicates a procedure, condition, or disease.

Word root (WR): A word component that is the core of many medical terms and refers to the body part or body system to which the term is referring.

Additional Resources

OpenRN. "Urinary System Terminology," Medical Terminology 2e; CC BY 4.0.

OpenRN. "Blood Terminology," Medical Terminology 2e; CC BY 4.0.

References

Except where otherwise noted, all content in this section adapted from:

OpenRN. "Foundational Concepts - Identifying Word Parts," Medical Terminology 2e; CC BY 4.0.

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