Learn the Difference Between Intra and Inter
Trust us, you aren’t alone in your confusion when it comes to “intra-” and “inter-.” It’s a topic that gets searched for frequently. We’ll make it incredibly easy for you to understand the difference between “intra-” and “inter-” by elaborating on their definitions and reviewing example words and sentences to show you exactly how to use them.
Both “intra-” and “inter-” are prefixes. “Intra-” means “within,” whereas “inter-” means “between.” For example, the word intrapersonal is a word that refers to “one’s own thoughts and feelings.” On the other hand, interpersonal means “having to do with relations or communications between people.”
- Perhaps not surprisingly, working on my intrapersonal affairs greatly enhanced my interpersonal skills.
Keep reading to understand the difference between “intra-” and “inter-.”
“Intra” and “Inter” are Prefixes
The first thing you have to know about “intra-” and “inter-” is that they are both prefixes with Latin origins. Technically speaking, a prefix is a type of affix, which involves groups of letters added to words to change their meaning or form (a suffix is another type of affix).
Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word. For example, “un-” and “re-” mean “not” and “again,” respectively. Therefore, unhappy means “not happy” and redo means “to do again.”
There are many prefixes. A few more examples include:
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| anti- | “opposite” | anti-establishment |
| bi- | “two” | bicentennial |
| counter- | “against” | counterargument |
| fore- | “before” | foresight |
| octo- | “eight” | octopus |
“Intra” Meaning
“Intra-” means “within.” It’s added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning to indicate that something is happening inside that one thing.
For instance, intravenous means “taking place inside a vein.” This term is typically used to refer to medication that is administered directly into a vein.
“Intra” Examples
Below, you’ll find a list of more words that start with “intra-,” along with their definitions and example sentences.
Intracellular
Intracellular is defined as “located or occurring inside a cell or cells.”
Intramural
Intramural means “operating within a single institution, especially a school or college.”
Intramuscular
Intramuscular means “taking place within or administered into a muscle.”
Intranational
Intranational means “occurring or being within a nation.”
Intrapersonal
Intrapersonal refers to the “thoughts, feelings, and awareness occurring within the individual mind.”
“Inter” Meaning
“Inter-” means “between.” So, when “inter-” is used as a prefix, it changes the word to mean something “happening or occurring among two or more people or things.” For example, consider the word international, which is defined as “happening, existing, or carried on between two or more nations.”
“Inter-” Examples
Here is a list of additional examples of words that start with this prefix:
Interaction
Interaction refers to the act of mutually or reciprocally communicating with or influencing someone or something.
Intercultural
Intercultural means “involving or relating to two or more cultures.”
Interdependent
Interdependent is defined as “a state in which two or more people or things rely on each other.”
Interdisciplinary
Interdisciplinary means “involving more than one branch of knowledge.”
Interstate
Interstate means “happening or carried on between states.”
Using “Intra” and “Inter” Correctly
Remembering that “intra-” means “within” and “inter-” means “between” seems simple enough, but because they sound so similar, it can be easy to confuse them, especially if you’re an English language learner. Practice and familiarizing yourself with the pronunciation of these suffixes will help you learn how to use them correctly.
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