Chapter 1 Concepts, Suffixes, and Prefixes of Medical Terminology

-ia

condition of

-ism

condition of

-sis

condition of

-y

condition of

-ian

speciality in a field of study

-iatrics

medical specialty

-ics

medical specialty

-ist

specialist in a field of study

-logy

study of

-iatry

medical specialty

-ac

pertaining to, like, resembling

-al

pertaining to, like, resembling

-ar

pertaining to, like, resembling

-ary

pertaining to, like, resembling

-form

pertaining to, like, resembling

-ic

pertaining to, like, resembling

-ical

pertaining to, like, resembling

-ile

pertaining to, like, resembling

-oid

pertaining to, like, resembling

-ory

pertaining to, like, resembling

-ous

pertaining to, like, resembling

prim/i-

first

mon/o-

one

uni-

one

hemi-

half; one side

semi-

half; partial

bi-

two, twice

di-

two, twice

dipl/o-

double

tri-

three

quadr/i-

four

tetra-

four

multi-

many

poly-

many, much

cyan/o-

blue

erythr/o-

red

leuk/o-

white, colorless

melan/o-

black, dark

xanth/o-

yellow

a-, an-

not, without, lack of, absence

anti-

against

contra-

against, opposite, opposed

de-

down, without, removal, loss

dis-

absence, removal, separation

in-, im- (used before b, m, p) (may also mean “in” or “into” as in inject, inhale

not

non-

not

un-

not

ab-

away from

ad-

toward, near

dia-

through

per-

through

trans-

through

hyper-

over, excess, abnormally high, increased

hypo-

under, below, abnormally low, decreased (position ex: hypodermic)

olig/o-

few, scanty

pan-

all

super-

above, excess (position ex: superficial)

equi-

equal, same

eu-

true, good, easy, normal

hetero-

other, different, unequal

homo-, homeo-

same, unchanging

iso-

equal, same

macro-

large, abnormally large

mega-, megal/o-

large, abnormally large (1 million)

micro-

small (1 millionth)

neo-

new

normo-

normal

ortho-

straight, correct, upright

poikilo-

varied, irregular

pseudo-

false

re-

again, back

ante-

before

pre-

before, in front of

pro-

before, in front of

post-

after, behind

dextr/o-

right

sinistr/o-

left

ec-, ecto-

out, outside

ex/o-

away from, outside

end/o-

in, within

mes/o-

middle

syn-, sym- (used before b, m, p)

together

tel/e-, tel/o-

end