Essential Prefixes and Suffixes for Medical and Scientific Terminology

a, an

not, without

anti

against

contra, contro, counter

against, oppose

de, dis, dys

bad, abnormal; reverse, opposite

il, im, in, ir

not

mis, miso, mys

hate, bad, wrong

non

not

ob, oc, of, op

toward, against

pseudo

false

un

not, opposite

-cle, -cule

small

-ify, -fy

to become, produce, or treat

-ina, -ine

to lessen in force or degree; make more feminine

-ing

to become, produce, treat (participle / gerund)

-ion, -tion, -ation, -ition

state, quality, or condition of; act or process of

-ious, -ous, -eous, -uous

full of, given to, marked by

-ise, -ize

to become, produce, or treat

-ish

like, resembling

-ism

set of beliefs or traits, doctrine

-ist

one who does or makes something

anthro, anthropo

man, human

dem, demo

people

frat, frater

brother, brotherly, brotherhood

greg

group

jud, jur, jus, juris

law, justice

kin, kind

kin, kind, race, tribe

mad, matr, mater

mother

pad, patr, pater

father

sor, soror

sister, sisterly, sisterhood

serv, serve

keep, save, serve

-ity, -y ; -ive, -ative, -itive

full of, given to, marked by

-kin, -chen

to lessen in force or degree

-less

lacking, without

-let, -ling

to lessen in force or degree; make more feminine

-like, -oid

like, resembling

-ly, -ily

(adverb) manner or direction of doing

-ization, -ment, -ness

state, quality, or condition of; act or process of

-ory

place for

-phobia

fear of

-wright

one who does or makes something

bi, di

two

cent

hundred

centi

hundredth

cinc, cinque, quin, quinque

five

dec, deca, dek, dekat

ten

extra

beyond, more

hept, hepta

seven

hex, hexa

six

kilo

thousand

maxi

large, very

mega, megal

very large

mid, med

middle

mil, mill, mile, mille

thousand

milli

thousandth

mini, min

small

prim, primo, prima

first, foremost, highest, chief in rank/importance

-ose

full of, given to, marked by

-ship

state, quality, or condition of; act or process of

-sie, -sy

to lessen in force or degree

-some

full of, given to, marked by (inclined to)