Medical Terminology--Common Prefixes

Common prefixes used in medical terminology

a-

without, away from (ex: aphasia=without speech)

an-

without (ex: anoxia=without oxygen)

ante-

before, in front of (ex: antepartum=before birth)

anti-

against (ex: antibiotic=against life)

auto-

self (ex: autograft=to graft from one’s own body)

brady-

slow (ex: bradycardia=slow heartbeat)

dys-

painful, difficult (ex: dyspnea=difficulty breathing)

endo-

within, inner (ex: endoscope=instrument to view within)

hetero-

different (ex: heterograft=a graft from another body)

homo-

same (ex: homozygous=having 2 identical genes)

hyper-

over, above (ex: hypertrophy=overdevelopment)

hypo-

under, below (ex: hypoglossal=under the tongue)

infra-

under, beneath (ex: infraorbital=below the eye socket)

inter-

among, between (ex: intervertebral)

intra-

within, inside (ex: intravenous)

macro-

large (ex: macrocephalic)

micro-

small (ex: microcephalic)

neo-

new (ex: neonate)

pan-

all (ex: pancarditis)

para-

beside, near (ex: paranasal)

per-

through (ex: percutaneous)

peri-

around (ex: pericardial)

post-

after (ex: postpartum)

pre-

before (ex: prefrontal)

pseudo-

false (ex: pseudocyesis)

retero-

backward (ex: retrograde)

sub-

below, under (ex: subcutaneous)

super-

above, excess (ex: supernumerary)

supra-

above (ex: suprapubic)

tachy-

rapid, fast (ex: tachycardia)

trans-

through (ex: transurethral)

ultra-

beyond (ex: ultrasound)