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What does para- mean in medical terms?
para-
Meaning: beside, near, abnormal, beyond
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what para- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using para-
paramedical
para- (beside) + medical (relating to medicine) = supporting or supplementing medical services
para- (beside) + medical (relating to medicine) = supporting or supplementing medical services
parathyroid
para- (beside) + thyroid (the thyroid gland) = glands situated beside the thyroid gland
para- (beside) + thyroid (the thyroid gland) = glands situated beside the thyroid gland
paranasal
para- (beside) + nasal (relating to the nose) = situated beside the nose
para- (beside) + nasal (relating to the nose) = situated beside the nose
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.