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What does an- mean in medical terms?
an-
Meaning: without, not, absence of (used before a vowel)
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what an- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using an-
anemia
an- (lack of) + emia (blood condition) = a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood
an- (lack of) + emia (blood condition) = a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood
anesthesia
an- (without) + esthesia (feeling, sensation) = loss of sensation
an- (without) + esthesia (feeling, sensation) = loss of sensation
anorexia
an- (without) + orexia (appetite) = loss of appetite
an- (without) + orexia (appetite) = loss of appetite
Shortened forms
Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.
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.