Common Medical Term Prefixes/Suffixes/Root Words

a-, an-

lack of; without

hypo-

decreased;deficient

ab-

from;away

inter-

between, among

ad-

to; toward; near

intra-

within, into, inside

anti-

against

macro-

large

ante-

before;ahead of

mal-

bad;abnormal

bi-

twice;double

micro-

small

brachy-

short

neo-

new

brady-

slow

para-

near, beside

dys-

difficult;painful

peri-

around

dors-

back

poly-

many;much

endo-

within

post-

after;behind

epi-

upon;upper

sub-

below;less

hemi-

half

super-

above;over

hyper-

excessive;fast

tachy-

rapid;fast

-algia

pain

-osis

condition;state;process

-asthenia

weakness;lack of strength

-ostomy

surgical opening

-cele

swelling;tumor

-otomy

cutting into

-centesis

surgical puncture to remove fluid

-orrhea

flow;discharge

-ectomy

surgical removal

-pathy

disease or abnormal condition

-itis

inflammation

-plasty

surgical correction or repair

-gram

picture;record

-rrhaphy

suture;sewing up

-malacia

softening of tissue

-sclerosis

dryness;hardness

-megaly

large;enlarged

-scope

examining instrument

-necrosis

death of

-stenosis

narrowing

-ology

study of

arthr/o

joint

cardi/o

heart

cerebr/o

brain

cervi/c

neck

chondr/o

cartilage

cyte

cell

gastr/o

stomach

hemo, hemat/o

blood

hapat/o

liver

myel/o

bone marrow

my/o

muscle

necr/o

death

nephr/o

kidney

oste/o

bone

pneum/o

lungs

thorac/o

thorax/chest