Common Medical Prefixes

A collection of medical prefixes divided into categories based on meaning, location, size, condition, and number.

a- / an-

without, not

hyper-

above normal, too much

hypo-

below normal, too little

brady-

slow

tachy-

fast

epi-

on, upon, above

sub-

under, below

peri-

around

endo- / intra-

inside, within

exo- / extra-

outside

inter-

between

pre- / pro-

before, in front of

post-

after, behind

macro-

large

mega- / megalo-

very large

micro-

small

nano-

extremely small

poly-

many

oligo-

few, little

pan-

all, entire

mono- / uni-

one

bi- / di-

two

tri-

three

quadri- / tetra-

four

multi-

many

dys-

bad, painful, difficult

eu-

good, normal

mal-

bad, poor

anti-

against

pro-

promoting, for

patho-

disease

neo-

new (often new growth, like tumors)