Prefixes
A prefix is the part of a word placed at the beginning to qualify the meaning of the root part of the word. For example , in the word “untrue” , the root is “true” and the prefix which limits or indicates the meaning we are to take from the root is “un”. The prefix can therefore be an important element of a word and can often help us to deduce the meanings of words which we ma not have come across before.
Here are some of the most common prefixes:
Prefix |
Meaning |
Example |
Un
In
Ir
Il
Im
Dis
|
Not |
Unkind ; Unfortunate
Incomplete ; Inconsiderable
Irregular; Irresistible
Illogical; Illicit
Impossible; Impersonal
Disagree; Dislike |
Mis
|
Wrongly, Badly |
Misinterpret ; Misuse |
E- , Ex
|
Out of |
Emit ; Explode |
Anti
|
Against |
Antiseptic ; Antithesis |
Mono
|
One |
Monologue ; Monotonous |
Poly
|
Many |
Polyglot ; Polygamy |
Sym
Syn
|
Sharing with
Together |
Sympathy ; Symphony
Synchronize ; Syndicate |
Tele
|
From a distance |
Television ; Telephone |
A-, Ab-
|
From |
Arise ; Abdicate |
Ad
|
To |
Admit ; Adhesion |
Ante
|
Before |
Antecedent ; Anteroom |
Bene
|
Well |
Benefit ; Benevolence |
Bi
|
Two |
Bicycle ; Binoculars |
Con
Col
Com
Cor
|
With, Together |
Converse ; Contact
Collaboration ; Colleague
Combination ; Communicate
Correspond ; Correlate |
Contra
|
Agianst |
Contravention ; Contrariness |
De
|
Away from, Opposite of |
Departure ; Depopulate |
In
|
Within |
Inject ; Install |
Inter
|
Between ; From a to b |
International; Intermediate |
Multi
|
Many |
Multitude ; Multi-racial |
Post
|
After |
Postpone ; Postscript |
Pre
|
Before |
Predict ; Preparation |
Re
|
Back, Again |
Retune ; Repeat |
Sub
|
Under, Secondary |
Submarine, Substitute |
Trans
|
Across, To a changed state |
Transparent, Translate |
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Exercise
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