Comprehensive Guide to Medical Terminology Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

Medical Prefixes

• a-, an-: without, not

• ab-: away from

• ad-: toward

• ante-: before, forward

• anti-: against

• auto-: self

• bi-: double, two

• brady-: slow

• circum-: around

• contra-: against, opposite

• de-: down, away from, not

• dia-: across, through, apart

• dis-: separation, away from

• dys-: bad, difficult, abnormal

• ecto-: outer, outside

• en-: in, into, within

• endo-: inner, inside

• epi-: over, on, upon

• eryth-: red

• ex-: out, out of, from, away from

• hemi-: half

• hyper-: excessive, too much, high

• hypo-: under, decreased, less than normal

• in-: in, into, within, not

• inter-: between

• intra-: within

• intro-: into, within

• leuk-: white

• macro-: large

• mal-: bad, illness, disease

• mega-: large

• micro-: small

• mono-: one, single

• neo-: new

• non-: not

• olig-: small, scanty

• para-: abnormal

• per-: by, through

• peri-: around

• poly-: many, much

• post-: after, behind

• pre-: before, in front of, prior to

• pro-: before, in front of

• re-: again

• retro-: backward

• semi-: half

• sub-: under

• super-: above, over, excess

• supra-: above, over

• tachy-: fast, rapid

• trans-: across

• uni-: one

Medical Suffixes

• -algia: pain

• -asis: condition, usually abnormal

• -cele: hernia, herniation, pouching

• -centesis: puncture and aspiration of

• -cyte: cell

• -ectasis: dilation, stretching

• -ectomy: excision, removal of

• -emia: blood condition

• -genesis: development, production, creation

• -genic: producing, causing

• -gram: record

• -graph: a diagram, a recording instrument

• -graphy: making a record

• -iasis: condition of

• -ism: a condition

• -itis: inflammation

• -logy: the study of

• -lysis: destruction of, decomposition

• -megaly: enlargement

• -meter: measuring instrument

• -metry: measurment

• -oma: tumor

• -osis: condition

• -pathy: disease

• -penia: lack, deficiency

• -phasia: speaking

• -phobia: an exaggerated fear

• -plasty: surgical repair or reshaping

• -plegia: paralysis

• -ptosis: falling, sagging, dropping, down

• -rrhage, -rrhagia: excessive flow

• -rrhaphy: stitching, suturing

• -rrhea: profuse flow, discharge

• -scope: examination instrument

• -scopy: examination using a scope

• -stasis: maintenance, maintaining a constant level

• -stomy, -ostomy: creation of an opening

• -tomy, -otomy: incision, cutting into

• -uria: conditon of the urine

Medical Word Roots and Combining Forms

• abdomin (o): abdomen

• aden (o): gland

• adren (o): adrenal gland

• angi (o): vessel

• arterio: artery

• arthr (o): joint

• broncho: bronchus, bronchi

• card, cardi (o): heart

• cephal (o): head

• chole, chol (o): bile, gall bladder

• chondr (o): cartilage

• colo: colon, large intestine

• cost (o): rib

• crani (o): skull

• cyan (o): blue

• cyst (o): bladder, cyst

• cyt (o): cell

• dent (o): tooth

• derma: skin

• duoden (o): duodenum

• encephal (o): brain

• enter (o): intestines

• erythr (o): red

• fibr (o): fiber, fibrous

• gastr (o): stomach

• gloss (o): tongue

• gluc (o): sweetness, glucose

• glyc (o): sugar

• gyn, gyne, gyneco: woman

• hem, hema, hemo, hemat (o): blood

• hepat (o): liver

• hydr (o): water

• hyster (o): uterus

• ile (o), ili (o): ileum

• laparo: abdomen, loin, flank

• laryng (o): larynx

• leuk (o): white

• lith (o): stone

• mamm (o): breast, mammary gland

• mast (o): breast, mammary gland

• meno: menstruation

• my (o): muscle

• myel (o): spinal cord, bone marrow

• necro: death

• nephr (o): kidney

• neur (o): nerve

• ocul (o): eye

• oophor (o): ovary

• ophthalm (o): eye

• orth (o): straight, normal, correct

• oste (o): bone

• ot (o): ear

• ped (o): child, foot

• pharyng (o): pharynx

• phleb (o): vein

• pnea: breathing, respiration

• pneum (o): lung, air, gas

• proct (o): rectum

• psych (o): mind

• pulmo: lung

• py (o): pus

• rect (o): rectum

• rhin (o): nose

• salping (o): eustachian tube, uterine tube

• splen (o): spleen

• sten (o): narrow, constriction

• stern (o): sternum

• stomat (o): mouth

• therm (o): heat

• thoraco: chest

• thromb(o): clot, thrombus

• thyr (o): thryoid

• toxo: poison

• toxic (o): poison, poisonous

• trache (o): trachea

• uro: urine, urinary tract, urination

• urethr (o): urethra

• urin (o): urine

• uter (o): uterus

• vas (o): blood vessel, vas deferens

• ven (o): vein

• vertebr (o): spine vertebae