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What does meta- mean in medical terms?
meta-
Meaning: change, after, beyond
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what meta- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using meta-
metabolism
meta- (change) + bol (to throw) + ism (process) = the chemical changes that occur in the body
meta- (change) + bol (to throw) + ism (process) = the chemical changes that occur in the body
metastasis
meta- (beyond, change) + stasis (a standing, a place) = the spread of disease to a site beyond the original site
meta- (beyond, change) + stasis (a standing, a place) = the spread of disease to a site beyond the original site
metaphase
meta- (after) + phase (a stage) = a stage of cell division following an earlier stage
meta- (after) + phase (a stage) = a stage of cell division following an earlier stage
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.