Important Prefixes You Should Know

Prefix - Meaning  - Examples

a-, ac-, ad-, af-, to, toward, ahead, accompany, adhere,
ag-, al-, an-, in addition to, affix, aggravate, alarm,
ap-, as-, at- according to appall, assent, attempt
a-, an- without amoral, analgesic
ab-, abs- away from abdicate, absence
ante- before antebellum, anterior
anti- against antiwar, antipathy
auto- self automobile, autobiography
bi- two biannual, bicycle
circum- around circumnavigate, circumvent
co-, cog-, col-, with, together, coherent, cognizant, collapse,
com-, con-, cor- mutually companion, concur, correspond
contra- against, opposite contradict, contravene
de- to do the opposite of decriminalize, degenerate
dis- not, opposite of disagree, disfavor
e-, ex- out of, away from egress, extension
em-, en- to put into, to cause to be embody, endear
epi- upon, over epidermis, epitaph
extra- outside, beyond extracurricular, extraordinary
il-, im-, not illicit, impossible, incorrect,
in-, ir- irresponsible
inter- between, among intercom, international
intro- into introduce, introvert
mal- bad maladjusted, malformed
mis- wrong misnomer, misunderstood
mono- one monotone, monogamy
multi- many multifaceted, multimillion
non- no, not nonentity, nonsensical
ob-, oc-, of-, op- toward, against object, occlude, offend, opposite
over- above, more than overachieve, overcharge
para- beside paradigm, paragraph
per- through, throughout perambulate
peri- around, about peripatetic, periodic
post- after postdate, posthumous
pre- before prediction, preexist
pro- for, supporting procreate, promotion
re- back, again recall, recapture
retro- backward retrofit, retrospective
semi- half semicircle, semiconscious
sub-, suc-, suf-, below, under subarctic, succumb, suffer,
sup-, sus- suppress, suspend
super- over, above superfluous, superscript
sur- over, above surpass, surrealism
sym-, syn- together sympathetic, synthesize
trans- across transatlantic, transmission
tri- three tricycle, trilogy
un- not, opposite of unlikely, unravel
uni- one uniform, unisex