Medical and Nursing Terminology Prefixes

Mono-

One

Uni-

One

Bi-

Two

Di-

Two

Diplo-

Two

Tri-

Three

Qua(dr/r/t)-

Four

Semi-

Half

Hemi-

Half, one side

Equi-

Equal

Iso-

Equal

Eu-

Normal

Normo-

Normal

Hyper-

Above Normal

Hypo-

Below normal

A-

Absent, lacking

An-

Absent, lacking

Pan-

All

Omni-

All

Multi-

Many

Poly-

Many

Micro-

Small

Macro-

Large

Megalo-

Large

Oligo-

Few

Chromo-

Color

Chromato-

Color

Alb-

Pale

Chloro-

Green

Cyano-

Blue

Erythro-

Red

Glauco-

Gray

Leuko-

white

Melano-

Black

Polio-

Gray

Porphyr-

Purple

Rhodo-

Rose-red

Xantho-

Yellow

Pre-

Before

Post-

After

Pro-

Before

Ante-

Before

Re-

Again

Retro-

Back/Backward

Neo-

New

Chrono-

Time

Tachy-

Fast

Brady-

Slow

Epi-

Above

Hyper-

Above (amounts)

Supra-

Above

Super-

Above

Sub-

Below

Hypo-

Below (amounts)

Infra-

Below

Dextro-

Right

Levo-

Left

Sinistro-

Left

Ante-

Anterior (Time or Position)

Antero-

Anterior

Ventri-

Anterior

Ventro-

Anterior

Postero-

Posterior

Dorsi-

Posterior

Dorso-

Posterior

Peri-

Around

Circum-

Around

Endo-

Inside

Intra-

Inside

Intro-

Inside

Exo-

Outside

Extra-

Outside

Extro-

Outside

Ecto-

Outside

Ab-

Away

Ad-

Toward

Trans-

Through

Meso-

Middle

Medi(o/a)

Middle

Latero-

Lateral

Para-

Nearby

Juxta-

Next to

Inter-

Between

Ambi-

Both

Amphi-

Both

Ipsi-

Same

Contra-

Against