Prefixes

A- (or ab-)

without or not (amoral, ahistorical, abnormal, atypical)

Ab-

away (absent, abdicate, aberrant, abject)

Ad-

to, forward (advance, admit, adventure, adjust)

Ante-

before (antecedent, antechamber, antebellum)

Anti-

against (antisocial, antipathy, anticlimax, antiestablishment)

Auto-

self (autonomy, autocracy, autodidact, automotive)

Circum-

round, around (circumvent, circumscribe, circumference, circumnavigate)

Com- (or co-/con-)

with, together (compact, co-author, conclave, confluence)

Contra- (or counter-)

against (contravene, contrary, contrapuntal, counteract)

De-

down, off, reversed (deactivate, deconstruct, descend, derail)

Dia-

through (dialogue, diagnose, diaphanous, dialect)

Dis-

not (disjointed, dissent, disavow, disown)

E-

out of (eject, emit, edict, erect)

En-

put into, cover (envelope, encase, enclose, enlist)

Ex-

out of, from (excavate, extract, exclaim)

Equi-

equal (equidistant, equivocal, equity)

Extra-

above, outside (extraneous, extraterrestrial, extravagant)

Hetero-

different (heterogenous, heterodox)

Homo-

same (homonym, homophone, homogenous)

Hyper-

over (hypersensitive, hyperactive, hyperbolic)

Il-

not (illegitimate, illegible, illegal)

Im-

not (impossible, immoderate, immoral)

In-

in or not (inspect, invisible, incorrect)

Intra-

within (intrastate, intravenous, intracellular)

Inter-

between or among (interstate, international, intervene)

Ir-

not (irresponsible, irreverent, irreligious)

Magni-

large (magnitude, magnanimous, magnificent)

Micro-

small (microscope, microcosm, microwave)

Mis-

wrong (misunderstand, misfit, mismanage)

Mono-

one (monologue, monopoly, monoculture)

Multi-

many (multicolored, multicultural, multiply)

Neo-

new (neophyte, neologism, neonatal)

Non-

not (nonfiction, noncommittal, noncomformist)

Ob-

against (obstruct, obstinate, obdurate)

Over-

too much (overestimate, overkill, overachieve)

Pan-

all (pandemonium, panacea, Pan-African)

Per-

through (pervade, permeate, permit)

Peri-

around (perimeter, pericardium, periscope)

Poly-

many (polyglot, polygon, polycarbonate)

Post-

after (postpone, postlapsarian, postmodern)

Pre-

before (preplan, prewrite, previous)

Pro-

forward (progress, propellant, promote)

Pseudo-

false (pseudonym, pseudointellectual, pseudoscience)

Re-

again or back (revisit, reject, return)

Retro-

backward (retrospective, retroactive, retrograde)

Sub-

under (submerge, submarine, subject)

Super-

over (supernatural, superb, superior)

Sym- (or syn-)

with or together (synthetic, synchronize, symphony)

Trans-

across (transatlantic, transform, transport)

Un-

not (unsuccessful, unnerving, unnatural)

Bi-

two (bifocal, bisect, bilateral)

Cent-

100 (century, centigrade, centimeter)

Dec-

ten (decade, decimal, decalogue)

Hemi-

half (hemisphere, hemitrope)

Kilo-

1,000 (kilometer, kilogram, kilobyte)

Milli-

1,000 (millipede, millisecond, millions)

Quad-

four (quadruple, quadrant, quadriplegic)

Semi-

half (semicircle, semiannual, semiformal)

Tri-

three (triangle, trilogy, triple)

Uni-

one (uniform, univocal, unisex)