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Medical Prefixes A–Z

Prefixes sit at the very start of a medical word and adjust its meaning — they often state a number, a position, a direction, a degree or a negation. Learning the common prefixes lets you predict the sense of a word before you reach its root: hyper- always pushes a value up, hypo- pulls it down, and brady- slows whatever follows.

All 118 prefixes are listed below. Open any word part for its meaning and example words broken down part by part.

Word partTypeMeaning
a-Prefixwithout, not, absence of
ab-Prefixaway from
ad-Prefixtoward, near
allo-Prefixother, different
ambi-Prefixboth, both sides
amphi-Prefixboth sides, double, around
an-Prefixwithout, not, absence of (used before a vowel)
ana-Prefixup, back, again, upward
aniso-Prefixunequal, dissimilar
ante-Prefixbefore, forward, in front of
anti-Prefixagainst, opposite
apo-Prefixaway from, separate, off
auto-Prefixself
bi-Prefixtwo, twice
brachy-Prefixshort
brady-Prefixslow
cata-Prefixdown, downward
chlor-Prefixgreen
circum-Prefixaround
co-Prefixwith, together, joint
contra-Prefixagainst, opposite
counter-Prefixagainst, opposite
cyan-Prefixblue
de-Prefixdown, away from, removal, reversal
deca-Prefixten
demi-Prefixhalf
dextro-Prefixright, on the right side
di-Prefixtwo, twice
dia-Prefixthrough, across, complete
dis-Prefixnot, apart, absence of, reversal
dolicho-Prefixlong
dorso-Prefixback
dys-Prefixbad, difficult, painful, abnormal
ecto-Prefixoutside, outer
en-Prefixin, into, inside
endo-Prefixinside, within
epi-Prefixupon, over, above
eso-Prefixinward, within
eu-Prefixgood, normal, well, true
ex-Prefixout, away from, outside
exo-Prefixoutside, outward
extra-Prefixoutside, beyond
hemi-Prefixhalf
hepta-Prefixseven
hetero-Prefixdifferent, other
hexa-Prefixsix
homeo-Prefixsame, similar, unchanged
homo-Prefixsame
hyper-Prefixexcessive, above normal
hypo-Prefixdeficient, below normal, under
im-Prefixnot; in, into (variant of in- used before certain letters)
in-Prefixnot; in, into, inside
infra-Prefixbelow, beneath
inter-Prefixbetween
intra-Prefixwithin, inside
intro-Prefixinto, inward
iso-Prefixequal, same
juxta-Prefixnear, beside
lepto-Prefixthin, slender, small
levo-Prefixleft, on the left side
macro-Prefixlarge
mal-Prefixbad, poor, abnormal
medio-Prefixmiddle
mega-Prefixlarge, great
melan-Prefixblack, dark
meso-Prefixmiddle
meta-Prefixchange, after, beyond
micro-Prefixsmall
mid-Prefixmiddle
mono-Prefixone, single
multi-Prefixmany
neo-Prefixnew
non-Prefixnot
normo-Prefixnormal
nulli-Prefixnone, never
octa-Prefixeight
olig-Prefixfew, scanty, little
ortho-Prefixstraight, correct, upright
pachy-Prefixthick
paleo-Prefixold, ancient
pan-Prefixall, entire
para-Prefixbeside, near, abnormal, beyond
penta-Prefixfive
per-Prefixthrough, throughout
peri-Prefixaround, surrounding
platy-Prefixflat, broad
poikilo-Prefixirregular, varied
poly-Prefixmany, much
post-Prefixafter, behind
pre-Prefixbefore
primi-Prefixfirst
pro-Prefixbefore, forward
pros-Prefixtoward, in addition, near
proto-Prefixfirst, original
pseudo-Prefixfalse
quadri-Prefixfour
re-Prefixagain, back
retro-Prefixbackward, behind
semi-Prefixhalf, partially
sinistro-Prefixleft, on the left side
steno-Prefixnarrow, constricted
sub-Prefixunder, below
super-Prefixabove, over, excessive
supra-Prefixabove, over
sym-Prefixtogether, with (used before certain letters)
syn-Prefixtogether, with
tachy-Prefixfast, swift
tel-Prefixend
tele-Prefixfar, distant, at a distance
tetra-Prefixfour
trans-Prefixacross, through, beyond
tri-Prefixthree
ultra-Prefixbeyond, excessive
uni-Prefixone
ventro-Prefixbelly side, front of the body
xanth-Prefixyellow
xeno-Prefixforeign, stranger
xero-Prefixdry
Print this sheet: all 118 prefixes on one printable page, with the address of this page and a QR code.
QR code linking to the Prefixes page
MedicalVideos.com
Medical Prefixes — printable sheet
https://www.medicalvideos.com/medical-terminology/prefixes/
Full searchable guide: https://www.medicalvideos.com/medical-terminology/

Medical Prefixes — MedicalVideos.com

a- — without, not, absence of
ab- — away from
ad- — toward, near
allo- — other, different
ambi- — both, both sides
amphi- — both sides, double, around
an- — without, not, absence of (used before a vowel)
ana- — up, back, again, upward
aniso- — unequal, dissimilar
ante- — before, forward, in front of
anti- — against, opposite
apo- — away from, separate, off
auto- — self
bi- — two, twice
brachy- — short
brady- — slow
cata- — down, downward
chlor- — green
circum- — around
co- — with, together, joint
contra- — against, opposite
counter- — against, opposite
cyan- — blue
de- — down, away from, removal, reversal
deca- — ten
demi- — half
dextro- — right, on the right side
di- — two, twice
dia- — through, across, complete
dis- — not, apart, absence of, reversal
dolicho- — long
dorso- — back
dys- — bad, difficult, painful, abnormal
ecto- — outside, outer
en- — in, into, inside
endo- — inside, within
epi- — upon, over, above
eso- — inward, within
eu- — good, normal, well, true
ex- — out, away from, outside
exo- — outside, outward
extra- — outside, beyond
hemi- — half
hepta- — seven
hetero- — different, other
hexa- — six
homeo- — same, similar, unchanged
homo- — same
hyper- — excessive, above normal
hypo- — deficient, below normal, under
im- — not; in, into (variant of in- used before certain letters)
in- — not; in, into, inside
infra- — below, beneath
inter- — between
intra- — within, inside
intro- — into, inward
iso- — equal, same
juxta- — near, beside
lepto- — thin, slender, small
levo- — left, on the left side
macro- — large
mal- — bad, poor, abnormal
medio- — middle
mega- — large, great
melan- — black, dark
meso- — middle
meta- — change, after, beyond
micro- — small
mid- — middle
mono- — one, single
multi- — many
neo- — new
non- — not
normo- — normal
nulli- — none, never
octa- — eight
olig- — few, scanty, little
ortho- — straight, correct, upright
pachy- — thick
paleo- — old, ancient
pan- — all, entire
para- — beside, near, abnormal, beyond
penta- — five
per- — through, throughout
peri- — around, surrounding
platy- — flat, broad
poikilo- — irregular, varied
poly- — many, much
post- — after, behind
pre- — before
primi- — first
pro- — before, forward
pros- — toward, in addition, near
proto- — first, original
pseudo- — false
quadri- — four
re- — again, back
retro- — backward, behind
semi- — half, partially
sinistro- — left, on the left side
steno- — narrow, constricted
sub- — under, below
super- — above, over, excessive
supra- — above, over
sym- — together, with (used before certain letters)
syn- — together, with
tachy- — fast, swift
tel- — end
tele- — far, distant, at a distance
tetra- — four
trans- — across, through, beyond
tri- — three
ultra- — beyond, excessive
uni- — one
ventro- — belly side, front of the body
xanth- — yellow
xeno- — foreign, stranger
xero- — dry

Printed from https://www.medicalvideos.com/medical-terminology/prefixes/ · Full searchable guide: https://www.medicalvideos.com/medical-terminology/ · Educational reference only.

Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.