Medical Terminology: Prefixes, Suffixes, Specialists, and Plurals

A comprehensive vocabulary review of medical prefixes, suffixes, specialists, and singular/plural conversions based on lecture notes.

-ism

Suffix meaning "condition of" (e.g., egotism, parasitism).

-ia

Suffix meaning "condition of" (e.g., insomnia, analgesia, anemia, anesthesia).

-osis

Suffix meaning "condition of" (e.g., thrombosis, sclerosis, stenosis, acidosis, necrosis).

-iasis

Suffix meaning "condition of" (e.g., psoriasis).

-y

Suffix meaning "condition of" (e.g., dysentery, atony, dystrophy).

-ist

Suffix meaning "specialist in a field of study" or "specialist".

-logy

Suffix meaning "study of".

-ics

Suffix meaning "medical specialty" or "field of study".

-iatry

Suffix meaning "medical specialty".

Anatomist

Specialist in the field of anatomy.

Pediatrician

Specialist in the field of pediatrics.

Radiologist

Specialist in the field of radiology.

Orthodontist

Specialist in the field of orthodontics.

Dermatologist

Specialist in the field of dermatology.

Pharmacist

Specialist in the field of pharmacy.

Gynecologist

Specialist in the field of gynecology.

-ary

Adjective suffix meaning "pertaining to" or "resembling" (e.g., salivary, urinary).

-ic

Adjective suffix meaning "pertaining to" or "resembling" (e.g., pelvic, neurotic, physiologic, basic, anemic).

-ous

Adjective suffix meaning "pertaining to" or "resembling" (e.g., fibrous, cutaneous).

-form

Adjective suffix meaning "pertaining to" or "resembling" (e.g., epileptiform).

-oid

Adjective suffix meaning "pertaining to" or "resembling" (e.g., ovoid, lymphoid, rheumatoid).

-al

Adjective suffix meaning "pertaining to" or "resembling" (e.g., topical, vocal, surgical, local, oral, anatomical, symmetrical, abdominal).

-ile

Adjective suffix meaning "pertaining to" or "resembling" (e.g., virile, febrile).

-ar

Adjective suffix meaning "pertaining to" or "resembling" (e.g., nuclear, cellular, circular).

-ory

Adjective suffix meaning "pertaining to" or "resembling" (e.g., circulatory, exploratory).

Vertebra (plural)

Vertebrae

Ganglion (plural)

Ganglia

Omentum (plural)

Omenta

Testis (plural)

Testes

Lumen (plural)

Lumina

Matrix (plural)

Matrices

Serum (plural)

Sera

Meninx (plural)

Meninges

Focus (plural)

Foci

Pelvis (plural)

Pelves

Adenoma (plural)

Adenomata (or adenomas)

Patella (plural)

Patellae

Prognosis (plural)

Prognoses

Bacterium (plural)

Bacteria

Fungus (plural)

Fungi

Protozoon (plural)

Protozoa

Pharynx (plural)

Pharynges

Apex (plural)

Apices

Foramina (singular)

Foramen

Nuclei (singular)

Nucleus

Indices (singular)

Index

Carcinomata (singular)

Carcinoma

Ova (singular)

Ovum

a-

Prefix meaning "not, without, lack of, absence" or "without, loss of".

anti-

Prefix meaning "against, opposed to".

dis-

Prefix meaning "apart, away, reversal".

contra-

Prefix meaning "opposite, against".

in-

Prefix meaning "not".

de-

Prefix meaning "down, away, removal".

non-

Prefix meaning "not".

per-

Prefix meaning "through".

ad-

Prefix meaning "toward, near".

ab-

Prefix meaning "away from".

dia-

Prefix meaning "through, across".

trans-

Prefix meaning "across, through".

equi-

Prefix meaning "equal".

ortho-

Prefix meaning "straight, correct".

re-

Prefix meaning "again, back".

eu-

Prefix meaning "good, normal, true" or "good, true, easy".

neo-

Prefix meaning "new".

mega-

Prefix meaning "large, oversized".

iso-

Prefix meaning "equal, same".

pre-

Prefix meaning "before".

post-

Prefix meaning "after, behind".

pro-

Prefix meaning "before, in front of".

ante-

Prefix meaning "before".

oligo-

Prefix meaning "few, scanty".

pseudo-

Prefix meaning "false".

dextro-

Prefix meaning "right".

bi- / di-

Prefixes meaning "two ($2$")".

poly- / multi-

Prefixes meaning "many".

semi- / hemi-

Prefixes meaning "half ($\frac{1}{2}$")".

mon/o / uni-

Prefixes meaning "one ($1$")".

Heterogeneous (opposite)

Homogeneous

Macroscopic (opposite)

Microscopic