What does en- mean in medical terms?

en-

Meaning: in, into, inside

Type: Prefix

A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what en- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.

Example words using en-

encephalon
en- (in) + cephal (head) + on (thing) = the brain, the organ in the head
enophthalmos
en- (in, inward) + ophthalm (eye) + os (condition) = inward displacement of the eyeball

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.