Common Prefixes

Question 1

a-, an-

Answer 1

without

aphonia (without voice or sound)
anaerobic

Question 2

anti-, contra-

Answer 2

against or opposite

anticoagulant
contraception

Question 3

de-

Answer 3

from, down, or not

decapitate

Question 4

ab-

Answer 4

away from

abnormal

Question 5

ad-

Answer 5

to, toward, or near

adhesion

Question 6

circum-, peri-

Answer 6

around

circumvascular (around a vessel)
periosteum (around bone)

Question 7

dia-, trans-

Answer 7

across or through

dialysis (dissolution across or through a membrane)
transmission (to send across or through)

Question 8

e-, ec-, ex-

Answer 8

out or away

edentia (condition of teeth out)
eccentric (away from center)
excise (to cut out)

Question 9

ecto-, exo-, extra-

Answer 9

outside

ectopic
exocrine
extravascular

Question 10

en-, endo-, intra-

Answer 10

within

encapsulate
endoscope
intradermal

Question 11

epi-

Answer 11

upon

epidermal (upon the skin)

Question 12

inter-

Answer 12

between

intercostal

Question 13

meso-

Answer 13

middle

mesomorphic

Question 14

meta-

Answer 14

beyond, after, or change

metastasis (beyond stopping the spread of disease throughout the body)
metamorphosis

Question 15

para-

Answer 15

alongside of or abnormal

paramedic (alongside medicine)
paranoid (abnormal thinking)

Question 16

retro-

Answer 16

backward or behind

retrograde (going backward)

Question 17

sub-, infra-

Answer 17

below or under

infraumbilical (below the naval)
sublingual (under the tongue)

Question 18

bi-

Answer 18

two or both

bilateral

Question 19

hemi-, semi-

Answer 19

half

hemicephalic (half the head)
semilunar (half the moon)

Question 20

hyper-

Answer 20

above or excessive

hyperlipemia (excessive blood fat)

Question 21

hypo-

Answer 21

below or deficient

hypothermia

Question 22

macro-

Answer 22

large or long

macrocyte (large cell)

Question 23

micro-

Answer 23

small

microlith (small stone)

Question 24

mono-, uni-

Answer 24

one

monochromatic (pertaining to one color)
unilateral

Question 25

oligo-

Answer 25

few or deficient oliguria (condition of deficient urine)

Question 26

pan-

Answer 26

all panacea (a cure-all)

Question 27

poly-, multi-

Answer 27

many polyphobia (many fears) multicellular (many cells)

Question 28

quadri-

Answer 28

four quadriplegia (paralysis of four limbs)

Question 29

super-, supra-

Answer 29

above or excessive suprarenal (above the kidney) supernumerary (excessive numbers, too many to count)

Question 30

tri-

Answer 30

three triangle

Question 31

ultra-

Answer 31

beyond or excessive ultrasonic (pertaining to beyond sound)

Question 32

ante-, pre-, pro-

Answer 32

before antepartum (before labor) premature prognosis (before knowing, prediction)

Question 33

brady-

Answer 33

slow bradycardia

Question 34

tachy-

Answer 34

fast tachycardia

Question 35

post-

Answer 35

after or behind postoperative

Question 36

re-

Answer 36

again or back reactivate

Question 37

con-, syn-, sym-

Answer 37

together or with syndactylism (webbing together fingers and toes) symbiosis (presence of life together) congenital (born with)

Question 38

dys-

Answer 38

painful, difficult, or faulty dysphonia (difficult voice or sound)

Question 39

eu-

Answer 39

good or normal eugenic (good production)

Question 40

neo-

Answer 40

new neoplasia (new abnormal formation)