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What does anti- mean in medical terms?
anti-
Meaning: against, opposite
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what anti- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using anti-
antibiotic
anti- (against) + bio (life) + tic (relating to) = a substance that acts against bacteria
anti- (against) + bio (life) + tic (relating to) = a substance that acts against bacteria
antigen
anti- (against) + gen (producer) = a substance that triggers the production of antibodies
anti- (against) + gen (producer) = a substance that triggers the production of antibodies
antiseptic
anti- (against) + septic (relating to infection) = preventing or counteracting infection
anti- (against) + septic (relating to infection) = preventing or counteracting infection
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.