What Is a Prefix? (With Explanations and Examples) (2024)

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Understanding what prefixes are and what they mean is a vital part of expanding your English vocabulary. This guide will help you learn everything you need to know about using prefixes correctly.

What Is a Prefix? (With Explanations and Examples) (1)
Prefixes: Quick Summary

A prefix is a letter or group of letters that are added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. For example, “bi-” is a prefix that means “two.” Therefore, bicycle refers to “a human-powered two-wheeled vehicle.”

Table of Contents

What Is a Prefix?

Examples of Prefixes

  • A-
  • Ante-
  • Auto-
  • Circum-
  • De-
  • Dys-
  • Endo-
  • Hyper-
  • Hypo-
  • In-
  • Inter-
  • Mega-
  • Macro-
  • Micro-
  • Mis-
  • Milli-
  • Para-
  • Poly-
  • Re-
  • Sub-

What Is a Prefix?

A prefix is a letter or group of letters that are added to the beginning of a word to alter its meaning. For example, the prefix “co-” means “together.” Therefore, cooperation refers to “working together.”

I was not used to the level of cooperation but found it extremely beneficial.

A prefix is a subcategory of affixes, which are letters that are added to a word to change its meaning.

Affixes can be either inflectional or derivational. An inflection affix is added to a word to indicate grammatical information (such as tense and number) while maintaining the word’s core meaning (e.g., bird vs. birds). Derivational affixes can completely change the meaning or grammatical role of a word (e.g., interesting vs. interestingly).

In English, suffixes can be both inflectional or derivational, while prefixes solely undertake a derivational role.

Keep In Mind

The word prefix can also function as a verb that means “to fix or appoint beforehand.”

  • She decided to prefix the presentation with a quick recap of her school’s recent accomplishments.

Examples of Prefixes

There are countless prefixes, all with different meanings. Below, we’ll go over some common ones, tell you what they mean, and provide examples of words that contain them.

A-

“A-” means “not.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Atypical

“Not typical”

Our meeting was atypical.

Ante-

“Ante-” means “prior.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Antecedent

“Something that comes before or precedes another thing”

The recession had is antecedents in a series of poor decisions made by the government.

Auto-

“Auto-” means “by one’s self or itself.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Autobiography

“The account of a person’s life written by that person”

It took me two years to write my autobiography.

Circum-

“Circum-” means “go around”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Circumvent

“To find a way around something (usually an obstacle)”

Despite having to circumvent numerous issues, we managed to submit the project on time.

De-

“De-” means “remove” or “negative.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Destabilize

“To make something unstable”

The election had a destabilizing impact on several other countries.

Dys-

“Dys-” means “negative,” “badly,” or “wrongly.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Dystopia

“An imagined place or state in which there is great suffering and injustice”

It seemed like we were living in a dystopian novel.

Endo-

“Endo-” means “within” or “inner.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Endoskeleton

“An internal skeleton”

Humans have endoskeletons, which provide a framework that supports and protects their internal organs.

Hyper-

“Hyper-” means “above,” “over,” or “beyond.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Hyperactivity

“The condition of being overly or extremely active”

My dog’s hyperactivity can be a lot to handle.

Hypo-

“Hypo-” means “below” or “not enough.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Hypothermia

“A medical condition in which the body temperature is much lower than normal”

The risk of hypothermia is a serious issue during the winter.

In-

“In-” means “not.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Incorrect

“Not correct” or “wrong”

I tried to answer the question, but the professor said I was incorrect.

Inter-

Inter-” means “between” or “among.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Interact

“To act or communicate with each other”

The newcomers were encouraged to interact with each other.

Mega-

“Mega-” means “large.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Megaphone

“A cone-shaped device used to amplify sound”

The megaphone wasn’t working, so the crowd struggled to hear me.

Macro-

“Macro-” means “large-scale.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Macroeconomics

“The branch of economics that deals with the economy as a whole”

We were studying for a macroeconomics exam.

Micro-

“Micro-” means “small-scale.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Microscopic

“So small that it cannot be seen with the naked eye”

The microscopic algae were wreaking havoc on the reef.

Mis-

“Mis-” means “bad” or “wrong.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Misspell

“To spell a word incorrectly”

She misspelled the final word.

Milli-

“Milli-” means one thousandth.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Millimeter

“A unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter”

For precision, we had to measure it in millimeters.

Para-

“Para-” means “beside,” “beyond,” or “related to.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Paranormal

“Relating to the claimed occurrence of an event devoid of scientific reasoning”

No one believed me when I told them I had a paranormal experience involving a ghost.

Poly-

“Poly-” means “many” or “much.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Polyglot

“Someone who knows several languages”

I only speak English, but my goal is to become a polyglot.

Re-

“Re-” means “again.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Redo

“Do something again or differently”

I had to redo my art project because my sister spilled coffee all over it.

Sub-

“Sub-” means “below.”

Example

Meaning

Example Sentence

Subzero

“Below zero”

It was so cold outside, it seemed like we were in subzero temperatures.

Using Prefixes Correctly

The examples listed above represent only a few of the numerous prefixes found in the English language. Don’t be intimidated or overwhelmed if you aren’t completely familiar with all of them. There’s a way to ensure you always use prefixes correctly—by using LanguageTool as your writing assistant.

Not only will this advanced spelling, grammar, and punctuation checker ensure your vocabulary and word usage are pristine, but it can also help you reach your writing goals by offering suggestions that are tailored specifically to your text.

Did we mention it supports over 30 languages and is FREE? Try it out today!

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  • What Is a Prefix? (With Explanations and Examples) (2)

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What Is a Prefix? (With Explanations and Examples) (2024)

FAQs

What Is a Prefix? (With Explanations and Examples)? ›

A prefix is a letter or group of letters that are added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. For example, “bi-” is a prefix that means “two.” Therefore, bicycle refers to “a human-powered two-wheeled vehicle.”

What is the prefix "explain with example"? ›

Prefixes are one- to three-syllable affixes added to the beginning of a base word to slightly change its meaning. For example, adding the prefix im- to the base word possible creates a new word, impossible, which means “not possible.”

What is a prefix short answer? ›

“A prefix is a letter or group of letters, for example 'un-' or 'multi-', which is added to the beginning of a word in order to form a different word”, according to the Collins Dictionary.

What is the best definition of a prefix? ›

1. : an affix attached to the beginning of a word, base, or phrase and serving to produce a derivative word or an inflectional form compare suffix. 2. : a title used before a person's name.

What are 50 examples of prefixes? ›

English Prefixes List, Meanings and Example Words Prefix Meaning Example Anti- Against Antifreeze, antithesis De- Opposite Decode, decompose Dis- Not, opposite of Disconnect, disembark Em- Cause to Embrace, emphasis En- Cause to Encode, encounter Fore- Before Forecast, foresight In- İn Infield, infiltrate Im- İn ...

What are prefix names examples? ›

What is the most common prefix? The most common prefixes are a-, be-, de-, dis-, ex-, in-, mis-, non-, over-, pre-, re-, uni- and with-. These prefixes appear most often in academic vocabulary.

What is a prefix word? ›

A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a word or base word (for example, un-). If the prefix un- is added to helpful, the word is unhelpful.

How do you explain a prefix to a student? ›

A prefix is a group of letters that appears at the front of a word. A prefix affects the meaning of the root (base) word to which it is attached. To determine whether or not a group of letters is a prefix, remove them from the word. The letters are a prefix if a known word remains.

What is the prefix for two examples? ›

The prefix “bi-” is a Latin prefix that means “two,” “twice,” or “double.” It is commonly used in English to indicate that something is made up of two parts or occurs twice. Examples: Bicycle – a vehicle with two wheels. Bilingual – the ability to speak two languages.

What is a common prefix? ›

The goal of this problem is to write a function that takes an array of strings and returns the longest common prefix that is shared among all the strings. The common prefix is the starting part of the strings that is identical for all of them.

What are prefixes 4 examples? ›

Root words are word parts that cannot be further broken down and affixes are added to them. Prefixes are letters that are added to the beginning of words to alter their meanings. Prefixes such as un-, poly-, im-, inter-, in- , and over- are among the most commonly used prefixes in the English language.

What is a prefix used to describe? ›

A prefix is a letter, or group of letters, added to the start of a word. This changes the existing word and gives it a new meaning. You can't use a prefix on its own – it has to be added to an existing word to work.

What is the meaning of the prefix be? ›

Prefix. be- (rare or no longer productive) By, near, next to, around, close to. beleaguer, bestand, beset, besit. (rare or no longer productive) Around; about.

What is the prefix of your name? ›

We also use prefix to describe the title you put before someone's name. For example, Mr., Mrs., and Dr. are all common prefixes. Finally, we sometimes use prefix to refer to telephone numbers.

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