HOSA: Medical Terminology Prefixes
Prefixes meaning "no," "not," or "without." Commonly used in medical terms like anemia (lack of blood), anoxia (lack of oxygen), and anesthesia (without sensation). Prefix meaning "away from." Often seen in terms like abduction, which means moving a limb away from the body.
A-, An-
No, not, without
Eg. anemia, anoxia, anesthesia
Key Terms
A-, An-
No, not, without
Eg. anemia, anoxia, anesthesia
Ab-
Away from
Eg. abduction
Ad-, Af-
Towards
Eg. adduction, afferent
Agora-
Marketplace, public place
Eg. agoraphobia
Ambi-, Amphi-
Around, on both sides, about
Eg. ambidextrous, amphibious
Ana-
Up, apart, backward, again, anew
Eg. anabiosis
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
A-, An- | No, not, without Eg. anemia, anoxia, anesthesia |
Ab- | Away from Eg. abduction |
Ad-, Af- | Towards Eg. adduction, afferent |
Agora- | Marketplace, public place Eg. agoraphobia |
Ambi-, Amphi- | Around, on both sides, about Eg. ambidextrous, amphibious |
Ana- | Up, apart, backward, again, anew Eg. anabiosis |
Ante- | Before, forward Eg. antenatal, antepartum |
Anti- | Against Eg. antipyretic, antitoxin |
Apo- | Off, away Eg. apoptosis |
Aut-, Auto- | Self, own Eg. autotroph, autism |
Bary- | Weight, pressure, heavy Eg. barycenter |
Bi- | Two Eg. bipolar, biceps brachii, biconvex |
Brachy- | Short Eg. brachycephaly, brachydactyly |
Brady- | Slow Eg. bradycardia |
Cata- | Down, badly Eg. catatonia |
Co-, Con- | With, together Eg. congenital, connective tissue |
Contra- | Against, opposite Eg. Contraception, contraindication, contralateral |
De- | Lack of, down, less, removal of Eg. dementia |
Dia- | Complete, through Eg. diagnosis, dialysis |
Dis- | Apart, to separate Eg. disjunction |
Dorsi- | Back Eg. dorsiflexion |
Dys- | Bad, painful, difficult, abnormal Eg. dysfunctional, dysphagia, dyspnea |
Ec-, Ecto- | Out, outside Eg. ectopic |
Echo- | Reflected sound Eg. echocardiogram |
Em-, En- | In | Eg. empyema, encephalopathy |
End-, Endo- | Within | Eg. endomysium, endocardial, endocrine |
Epi- | Upon, in addition to, at | Eg. epidermis, epigastrium |
Equi- | Equality, equal | Eg. equilibrium |
Eso- | Inward | Eg. esophoria, esotropia, esophagus |
Eu- | Good, normal | Eg. eukaryote, eucrasia |
Ex-, Exo- | Out of, away from | Eg. exacerbation, exhale |
Extra- | Outside | Eg. extraventricular |
Fore- | Before, in front | Eg. forehead, forearm |
Hemi- | Half | Eg. hemigastrectomy, hemiglossectomy |
Heredo- | Heredity | Eg. hereditary |
Holo- | Entire, complete | Eg. holomorphic |
Hyper- | Above, excessive | Eg. hypertension, hyperacidity |
Hypo- | Low, deficient | Eg. hypotension, hypothermia |
Hypsi- | High, height |
In- | Into, in, not | Eg. in vitro |
Infra- | Below, beneath | Eg. infracostal, infrasternal |
Inter- | Between | Eg. interannular, interarticular |
Intra- | Within | Eg. intracordal, intrapyretic |
Ipsi- | Same | Eg. ipsilateral |
Ir- | In |
Ithy- | Erect, straight | Eg. ithyphallic |
Iso- | Same | Eg. isocellular, isocytosis |
Juxta- | Near | Eg. juxtaspinal |
Kern- | Nucleus (collection of nerve cells in brain) |
Levo- | Left | Eg. levorotation |
Macro-, Mega- | Large | Eg. macromolecule, megacephaly |
Mal- | Bad | Eg. maladaptive |
Meso- | Middle, intermediate | Eg. mesoderm, mesotarsal |
Meta- | Beyond | Eg. metacognition |
Multi- | Many | Eg. Multiple sclerosis, multicellular |
Neo- | New | Eg. neonatal, neoplasm |
Noci- | Harm, injury or pain | Eg. nociceptors |
Nomen- | Name | Eg. nomenclature |
Nulli- | None | Eg. nullipara |
Oxy- | Swift, sharp, acid | Eg. oxytocin |
Pachy- | Heavy, thick | Eg. pachydermia |
Pali- | Recurrence, repetition | Eg. palindrome |
Pan- | All | Eg. pancreas, panhysterectomy |
Par-, Para- | Besides, around, near, abnormal | Eg. parathyroid, paracentesis, parasalpingitis |
Per- | Through | Eg. period? |
Peri- | Surrounding | Eg. perimysium |
Platy- | Broad, flat | Eg. platycephalic |
Polio- | Gray matter (of the spinal cord) Eg. poliomyelitis |
Poly- | Many | Eg. polydactyl |
Post- | After, behind | Eg. postmortem, postprandial |
Pre- | Before, in front of | Eg. precancerous, precordium |
Primi- | First | Eg. primitive |
Pro- | In front of, before, forward | Eg. Procidentia, prognosis |
Pros- | Before, foward |
Pseudo- | False | Eg. pseudoscience |
Quadri- | Four, square | Eg. quadriceps |
Quasi- | To some degree, resembling |
Quart- | Four |
Quint- | Five |
Re- | Back, again, backward | Eg. rehabilitation |
Retro- | Backward, behind, back of | Eg. retroflexion, retrovirus |
Semi- | Half | Eg. semicircular canal, semilunar valves |
Sub- | Under, beneath, below | Eg. subcostal, subcutaneous |
Super-, Supra- | Above, beyond, excessive, superior | Eg. supraoccipital, superextension |
Sym-, Syn- | With, alongside, together, beside | Eg. symphysis pubis, syndactylism |
Tachy- | Fast | Eg. tachycardia |
Tetra- | Four |
Trans- | Across, over, through | Eg. transection, transfusion |
Tri- | Three | Eg. tricuspid, trigone |
Ultra- | Beyond | Eg. ultrasound |
Uni- | One | Eg. uniarticular, unicellular |
Xiphi- | Sword-shaped | Eg. xiphihumeralis |
Xylo- | Wood | Eg. xylum |
Xys- | File, scrape | Eg. xyster |
Zinco- | Pertaining to or containing the element zinc |