Prefixes: Quick Summary
A prefix is a letter or group of letters that are added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. For example, “bi-” is a prefix that means “two.” Therefore, bicycle refers to “a human-powered two-wheeled vehicle.”
Table of Contents
What Is a Prefix?
A prefix is a letter or group of letters that are added to the beginning of a word to alter its meaning. For example, the prefix “co-” means “together.” Therefore, cooperation refers to “working together.”
I was not used to the level of cooperation but found it extremely beneficial.
A prefix is a subcategory of affixes, which are letters that are added to a word to change its meaning.
Affixes can be either inflectional or derivational. An inflectional affix is added to a word to indicate grammatical information (such as tense and number) while maintaining the word’s core meaning (e.g., bird vs. birds). Derivational affixes can completely change the meaning or grammatical role of a word (e.g., interesting vs. interestingly).
In English, suffixes can be both inflectional or derivational, while prefixes solely undertake a derivational role.
Keep In Mind
The word prefix can also function as a verb that means “to fix or appoint beforehand.”
- She decided to prefix the presentation with a quick recap of her school’s recent accomplishments.
Examples of Prefixes
There are countless prefixes, all with different meanings. Below, we’ll go over some common ones, tell you what they mean, and provide examples of words that contain them.
LanguageTool's Paraphrasing Tool can also help you vary your vocabulary to use prefixes effectively in your writing.
A-
“A-” means “not.”
Ante-
“Ante-” means “prior.”
Auto-
“Auto-” means “by one’s self or itself.”
Circum-
“Circum-” means “go around”
De-
“De-” means “remove” or “negative.”
Dys-
“Dys-” means “negative,” “badly,” or “wrongly.”
Endo-
“Endo-” means “within” or “inner.”
Hyper-
“Hyper-” means “above,” “over,” or “beyond.”
Hypo-
“Hypo-” means “below” or “not enough.”
In-
“In-” means “not.”
Inter-
“Inter-” means “between” or “among.”
Mega-
“Mega-” means “large.”
Macro-
“Macro-” means “large-scale.”
Micro-
“Micro-” means “small-scale.”
Mis-
“Mis-” means “bad” or “wrong.”
Milli-
“Milli-” means one thousandth.”
Para-
“Para-” means “beside,” “beyond,” or “related to.”
Poly-
“Poly-” means “many” or “much.”
Re-
“Re-” means “again.”
Sub-
“Sub-” means “below.”
Using Prefixes Correctly
The examples listed above represent only a few of the numerous prefixes found in the English language. Don’t be intimidated or overwhelmed if you aren’t completely familiar with all of them. There’s a way to ensure you always use prefixes correctly—by using LanguageTool as your writing assistant.
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