Suffix Use Examples

Add to nouns or
adjectives to make
verbs expressing to Visualize (able to see); impersonate (act like);
ize, ate
use and to act like; hypnotize (Put into state of hypnosis)
to subject to; make
into
Add to verbs to
make nouns Anesthetist (one who practices the science of
ist, or, er expressing agent or anesthesia); dissector (Instrument that dissects or
person concerned person who dissects); donor (giver)
or instrument
Add to verbs to
Recipient (one who receives); concurrent (happening
ent make adjectives or
at same time)
nouns of agency
Add to verbs to
make nouns
Therapy (treatment); inhalation (act of inhaling);
sia, y, tion expressing action,
anesthesia (process or condition of feeling)
process, or
condition
Add to adjectives
Septicemia (poisoning of blood); disparity
or nouns to make
ia, ity (inequality); acidity (condition of excess acid);
nouns expressing
neuralgia (pain in nerves)
quality or condition
Add to verbs to
ma, mata, - make nouns Trauma (injury); foramina (openings); ligament
men, mina, - expressing result of (tough fibrous band holding bone or viscera together);
ment, ure action or object of fissure (groove)
action
ium, olus, -
Add to nouns to Bacterium; alveolus (air sac) follicle (little bag);
olum, culus,
make diminutive cerebellum (little brain); molecule (little mass);
culum, cule,
nouns ossicle (little bone)
cle
Add to verbs to
make adjectives Contractile (ability to contract); edible (capable of
ible, ile
expressing ability being eaten); flexible (capable of being bent)
or capacity
Add to nouns to
make adjectives
Neural (referring to nerve); neoplastic (referring to
expressing
al, c, ious neoplasm); cardiac (referring heart); delirious
relationship,
( suffering from delirium)
concern, or
pertaining to
Add to verbs or
nouns to make
Flaccid (state of being weak or lax); fluid (state of
id adjectives
being liquid)
expressing state or
condition
Add to a verb to
make an adjective Caustic (referring to burn); acoustic (referring to
tic
showing sound or hearing)
relationship
Add to nouns to
Polypoid (resembling polyp); plexiform (resembling a
make adjectives
oid, form plexus); fusiform (resembling a fusion); epidermoid
expressing
(resembling epidermis)
resemblance
Add to nouns to
Ferrous (composed of iron); serous (composed of
ous make adjectives
serum); mucinous (composed of mucin)
expressing material
Prefixes, the most frequently used elements in the formation of Greek and Latin
words, consist of one or more syllables (prepositions or adverbs) placed before words or
roots to show various kinds of relationships. They are never used independently, but
when added before verbs, adjectives, or nouns, they modify the meaning..

Translation of
Prefix Examples
Greek or Latin
Apathy (lack of
feeling); apnea (without
A ("an" before vowel) Without, lack of breath); aphasia
(without speech);
anemia (lack of blood)
Away from Abductor (leading away
Ab from); aboral (away
from mouth)
Adductor (leading
toward); adhesion
(sticking to); adnexia
Ad To, toward, near to
(structures joined to);
adrenal (near the
kidney)
Ambidextrous (ability
to use hands equally);
Ambi Both
ambilaterally (both
sides)
Amphibious (living on
Amphi About, on both sides, both
both land and water)
Amphogenic (producing
Ampho Both
offspring of both sexes)
Anatomy (a cutting up);
anagenesis
(reproduction of tissue);
Ana Up, back, again, excessive
anasarca (excessive
serum in cellular tissues
of body)
Antecubital (before
Ante Before, forward elbow); anteflexion
(forward bending)
Against, opposed to, reversed Antiperistalsis (reversed
Anti peristalsis); antisepsis
(against infection)
Aponeurosis (away
from tendon);
Apo From, away from
apochromatic (abnormal
color)
Biarticulate (double
joint); bifocal (two
Bi Twice, double
foci); bifurcation (two
branches)
Catabolism (breaking
Down, according to, down); catalepsia
Cata
complete (complete seizure);
catarrh (flowing down)
Circumflex (winding
about); circumference
Circum Around, about (surrounding);
circumarticular (around
joint)
Com With, together Commissure (sending
 or coming together)
Conductor (leading
together); concrescence
Con With, together (growing together);
concentric (having a
common center)
Translation of
Prefix Examples
Greek or Latin
Contra Contralateral (opposite side); contraception
Against,
(prevention of conception); contraindicated (not
opposite
indicated)
Dehydrate (remove water from); dedentition (removal
De Away from
of teeth); decompensation (failure of compensation)
Diplopia (double vision); dichromatic (two colors);
Di Twice, double
digastric (double stomach)
Through,
Diaphragm (wall across); diapedesis (ooze through);
Dia apart, across,
diagnosis (complete knowledge)
completely
Reversal,
Disinfection (apart from infection); disparity (apart
Dis apart from,
from equality); dissect (cut apart)
separation
Bad, difficult, Dyspepsia (bad digestion); dyspnea (difficult
Dys
disordered breathing); dystopia (disordered position)
Out, away Enucleate (remove from); eviscerate (take out viscera
E, ex
from or bowels); exostosis (outgrowth of bone)
Ectopic (out of place); eccentric (away from center);
Ec Out from
ectasia (stretching out or dilation)
On outer side,
Ecto Ectoderm (outer skin);ectoretina (outer layer of retina)
situated on
Em,
In Empyema (pus in); encephalon (in the head)
en.
Endocardium (within heart); endometrium (within
Endo Within
uterus)
Epi Upon, on Epidural (upon dura); epidermis (on skin)
Outside, on
Exogenous (produce outside); exocolitis
Exo outer side,
(inflammation of outer coat of colon)
outer layer
Extracellular (outside cell); extrapleural (outside
Extra Outside
pleura)
Hemiplegia (partial paralysis); hemianesthesia (loss of
He mi Half
feeling on one side of body)
Over, above, Hyperemia (excessive blood); hypertrophy (over-
Hyper
excessive growth); hyperplasia (excessive formation)
Hypo Under, below, Hypotension (low blood pressure); hypothyroidism
deficient (deficiency or underfunction of thyroid)

Translation of
Prefix Examples
Greek or Latin
Im, in Immersion (act of dipping in); infiltration (act
In, Into of filtering in); injection (act of forcing liquid
into)
Immature (not mature); involuntary (not
Im, in Not
voluntary); inability (not able)
Infraorbital (below eye); infraclavicular
Infra Below
(below clavicle or collarbone)
 Intercostal (between ribs); intervene (come
Inter Between
between)
Intracerebral (within cerebrum); intraocular
Intra Within (within eyes); intraventricular (within
ventricles )
Introversion (turning inward); introduce (lead
Intro Into, within
into)
Metamorphosis (change of form); metastasis
Beyond, after,
Meta change (beyond original position);
change
metacarpal (beyond wrist)
Behind, Opisthotic (behind ears); opisthognathous
Opistho
backward (beyond jaws)
Beside,
Paracardiac (beside the heart); paraurethral
Para beyond,
(near the urethra)
near to
Through, Permeate (pass through); perforate (bore
Per
excessive through); peracute (excessively acute)
Periosteum (around bone); periatrial. (around
Peri Around
atrium); peribronchial (around bronchus)
Postoperative (after operation); postpartum
Post After, behind
(after childbirth); postocular (behind eye)
Before, in Premaxillary (in front of maxilla); preoral (in
Pre
front of front of mouth)
Before, in Prognosis (foreknowledge); prophase (appear
Pro
front of before)
Reflex (bend back); revert (turn again to);
Back, again,
Re regurgitation (backward flowing, contrary to
contrary
normal)
Retrocervical (located behind cervix);
Backward,
Retro retrograde (going backward); retrolingual.
located behind
(behind tongue)
Semicartilaginous (half cartilage);
Semi Half semilunar(halfmoon); semiconscious (half
conscious)
Subcutaneous (under skin); subarachnoid
Sub Under
(under arachnoid); subungual (under nail)
Supercilia (upper brows); supernumerary
Above, upper,
Super (excessive number); supermedial (above
excessive
middle)
Suprarenal (above kidney); suprasternal
Above, upper,
Supra (above sternum); suprascapular (on upper
excessive
part of scapula)
Sym, syndrome Symphysis (growing together); synapsis
Together, with (joining together); synarthrosis (articulation
of joints together)
Across,
Transection (cut across); transduodenal
Trans through,
(through duodenum); transmit (send beyond)
beyond