Prefixes
a- not; without: atypical, amoral contra- against; opposite: contradict
aero- connected with air or aircraft: (= say the opposite)
aerodynamic counter- against; opposite: counterterrorism,
agro-, agri- connected with farming: agro- counterproductive
industry (= producing the opposite of the desired
all- 1 completely: an all-inclusive price effect)
2 in the highest degree: all-important, cross- involving movement or action from
all-powerful one thing to another or between two
ambi- referring to both of two: ambivalent things: cross‑fertilize
ante- before; in front of: antedate crypto- hidden; secret: a cryptogram (= a text
anthropo- connected with human beings: written in code)
anthropology cyber- connected with electronic
anti- against: antiwar communication, especially the Internet:
arch- main; most important or most extreme: cybercafé
archbishop de- 1 the opposite of: decompress
astro- connected with the stars or outer 2 taking something away: decaffeinated
space: astrophysics coffee
audio- connected with hearing or sound: deca- ten; having ten: decathlon
audio-visual deci- one tenth: deciliter
auto- 1 about or by yourself: autobiography demi- half; partly: demigod
(= the story of the writer’s own life) 2 demo- connected with people or population:
by itself, without a person to operate it: democracy
automatic di- used in chemistry to refer to substances
be- 1 to make or treat someone or that contain two atoms of the type
something as: They befriended him. mentioned: dioxide
2 wearing or covered with: bejeweled dis- not; the opposite of: discontinue,
bi- two; twice; double: bilingual, bicentennial disarmament
biblio- connected with books: bibliography e- connected with the use of electronic
bio- connected with living things or human communication, especially the Internet, for
life: biodegradable sending information, doing business, etc.:
by- 1 less important: a byproduct 2 near: a e-commerce
bystander eco- connected with the environment:
cardio- connected with the heart: cardiology eco‑friendly
centi- hundred; hundredth: centipede, electro- connected with electricity:
centimeter (= one hundredth of a meter) electromagnetism
chrono- connected with time: chronology en-, em- 1 to put into the thing or condition
circum- around: circumnavigate (= sail mentioned: endanger, empower 2 to cause
around) to be: enlarge, embolden
co- together with: copilot, coexist equi- equal; equally: equidistant
con- with; together: concurrent Euro- connected with Europe or the
(= happening together) European Union: Euro-elections
ever- always; continuously: the ever-growing
problem of pollution
-free (to make adjectives) without the thing -less (to make adjectives) not having
mentioned: fat-free, tax-free something: hopeless
-ful (to make adjectives) having a particular -like (to make adjectives) similar to: childlike
quality: helpful, useful, beautiful -looking (to make adjectives) having the
-graphy (to make nouns) 1 a type of art appearance mentioned: odd-looking,
or science: geography 2 a method of good‑looking
producing images: radiography 3 a form of -ly (to make adverbs) in a particular way:
writing or drawing: biography badly, beautifully
-hood (to make nouns) 1 a state, often -ment (to make nouns) a state, action,
during a particular period of time: or quality: development, arrangement,
childhood, motherhood 2 a group with excitement
something in common: sisterhood, -most (to make adjectives) the furthest:
neighborhood southernmost, topmost (= the farthest up/
-ial (to make adjectives) typical of: dictatorial the nearest to the top)
-ian (to make nouns) a person who does -ness (to make nouns) a state or quality:
something as a job or hobby: historian, kindness, happiness
comedian -oid (to make adjectives and nouns) similar
-ible ➔ -able to: humanoid
-ic 1 (to make adjectives and nouns) -ology (to make nouns) the study of a
connected with: economic, Arabic subject: biology, zoology
2 (to make adjectives) that performs the -or (to make nouns) a person who does
action mentioned: horrific something, often as a job: actor, conductor
-ics (to make nouns) the science, art, or -ory 1 (to make adjectives) that does:
activity of: physics, athletics explanatory 2 (to make nouns) a place for:
-ical (to make adjectives from nouns ending observatory
in -y or -ics) connected with: economical, -ous (to make adjectives) having a particular
mathematical, physical quality: dangerous, religious
-ide (to make nouns) (in chemistry) a -phile 1 (to make adjectives) liking a
compound of: chloride particular thing: Francophile 2 (to make
-ify (to make verbs) to produce a state or nouns) a person who likes a particular
quality: beautify, simplify, purify thing: bibliophile
-ing (to make adjectives) producing a -philia (to make nouns) love of something
particular state or effect: interesting -phobe (to make nouns) a person who
-ion (to make nouns) a state or process: dislikes a particular thing or particular
action, connection, exhibition people: technophobe
-ish (to make adjectives) 1 describing -phobia (to make nouns) a fear of the thing
nationality or language: English, Polish 2 mentioned: claustrophobia
like something: babyish 3 fairly, kind of: -proof (to make adjectives) able to protect
longish, brownish against the thing mentioned: soundproof
-ist (to make nouns) 1 a person who has -ship (to make nouns) showing status:
studied something or does something friendship, membership, citizenship
as a job: artist, scientist 2 a person who -ward, -wards (to make adverbs) in a
believes in something or belongs to a particular direction: backward, upwards
particular group: capitalist, pacifist -ways (to make adjectives and adverbs) in the
-ite (to make nouns and adjectives) a person direction of: lengthways
who follows or supports; following: -wise (to make adjectives and adverbs)
Trotskyite 1 in the manner or direction of: clockwise
-ity (to make nouns) the quality or state of: 2 concerning: Things aren’t too good
purity businesswise.
-ive (to make adjectives) having a particular -y (to make adjectives) having the quality of
quality: attractive, effective the thing mentioned: rainy, fatty, thirsty
-ize (to make verbs) producing a particular
state: magnetize, standardize
-legged (to make adjectives) having the
number or type of legs mentioned: three-
legged, long‑legged