Common Prefixes

Prefix Definition Examples
a-, an-

without, lack of, not  atheist, amoral, achromatic, anhydrous

ante-

before, earlier, in front of antecedent, antedate, antemeridian, anterior

anti-

against, opposite of anticlimax. antiaircraft, antiseptic, antibody, antibiotic

auto-

self, same autopilot, autobiography, automobile, autofocus

circum-

around, about circumvent, circumnavigate, circumscribe

co-

with, together co-pilot, co-worker, co-exist, co-author

com-, con-

together, with companion, commingle, contact, concentrate

contra-, contro-

against, opposite contradict, contrast, contrary, controversy

de-

down, off, away from devalue, deactivate, debug, degrade, deduce

dis-

not, apart, away disappear, disagreeable, dissect,

dysfunctional

en-

put into, cover with enclose, entangle, enslave, encase

ex-

out of, from, former extract, exhale, excavate, ex-president,

extra-

beyond, outside, more than extracurricular, extramarital, extravagant, extraterrestrial, extraordinary

hetero-

different, other heterosexual, heterodox, heterogeneous

homo-, homeo-

same, alike homonym, homophone, homeostasis, homosexual

hyper-

over, more, beyond hyperactive, hypersensitive, hypercritical

il-, im-, in-, ir-

not, without illegal, immoral, inconsiderate, irresponsible

in-

in, into insert, inspection, infiltrate

inter-

between, among intersect, interstellar, intervene, interpenetrate, international

intra-, intro-

within, inside intravenous, intragalactic, introvert, introduce

macro-

large, prominent macroeconomics, macrostructure, macrocosm

micro-

very small microscope, microcosm, microbe

mono-

one, single, alone monocle, monologue, monogamy, monotony

non-

not, without nonentity, nonaggressive, nonessential, nonfiction

omni-

all, every omniscient, omnivorous, omnidirectional

post-

after, behind postmortem, posterior, postscript, postoperative

pre-, pro-

before, forward precede, predict, project, prologue

sub-

under, lower submarine, subsidiary, substandard

sym-, syn-

same time, together symmetry, synchronize, sympathy, symposium (hội nghị), syndrome

tele-

from or over a distance telecommunications, telepathy, television, telephone

trans-

across, beyond, through transmit, transaction, translation, transfer

tri-

three, every third tricycle, trimester, triangle, triathlon (chạy, bơi, xe đạp)

un-

not, lacking, opposite of unfinished, unskilled, ungraceful, unfriendly

uni-

one, single unicorn, unicellular, unicycle, unilateral

up-

to the top or north, higher/better upbeat, updo, upgrade, upload, uphill, upstage, upscale, up-tempo