Medical Prefixes

A-, An-

Without, lack of, deficit (anoxia)

Ab-,

Away from, from (abduction)

Ad-

To, near, towards (adduction)

Alb-

White (albino)

Alveol-

Cavity, Socket (alveoli)

Ambi-

both sides (ambidextrous)

Andro-

Male (androgen)

Ankylo-

Bent, Fused (ankylosis)

Ante-

Before (antepartun)

Anti-

Against (anticoagulant)

Basi-

Base, Foundation (basal ganglia)

Bi-

Two, Double (biceps)

Bili-

Bile, Gall (biliary duct)

Brady-

Slow (bradycardia)

Cata-

Down, Lower, Under, Against (catabolize)

Circum-

Around (circumcize)

Cirrh-

Yellow (Cirrhosis)

Co-, Con-, Com-

With, Together (congental defect)

Contra-

Against, Opposite (contraindiction)

Crypt-

Hidden, Concealed (cryptorchidism)

Cyano-

Blue (cyanosis)

De-

Down, From (decay)

Demi-, Hemi-

Half (hemisphere)

Di-, Diplo-

Two (diploid)

Dis-

Seperation, Apart, Away from (disjunction)

Dys-

Painful, Dificult (dysuria)

E-, Ec-, Ex-

Out from, Out of (ectopic pregnancy)

Ecto-, Exo-

Outside (exoskeleton)

Endo-

Inside (endoscopy)

Epi-

Upon, On, Above (epidermis)

Eu-

Well (eupnea)

Exo-

Out, Away, From (exocrine)

Extra-

Outside, Beyond, In addition to (extracellular)

Fore-

Before, In front of (forehead)

Gen-

Originate, Produce, From (genetics)

Gingiv-

Gums (gingivitis)

Hemi-

Half (hemisphere)

Hetero-

Other, Diferent (heterogeneous)

Homeo-, Homo-

Unchanging, The same, Steady (homeostasis)

Hyper-

Beyond, Excessive (hyperglycemia)

Hypo-

Under, Below, Deficient (hypothermic)

Ido-

Self, One's own (idiopathic disease)

In-, Im-

In, Inside, Not (incontinent)

Infra-

Beneath (infraorbital foramen)

Inter-

Among, Between (interstitial)

Intra-

Within, Inside (intracellular)

Iso-

Equal, Like (isotonic)

Later-

Side ( lateral)

Lepto-

Small, Slender, Thin (leptodermic)

Macro-

Large, Great (macrophage)

Mal-

Bad, Abnormal (malnutrition)

Medi-, Meso-

Middle (medial)

Mega-, Megalo-

Great, Large (megalomania)

Melan-

Black (melanocyte)

Meta-

After, Beyond (metacarpals)

Micro-

Small (microtome)

Mono-

One (monocle)

Neo-

New (neonatal)

Noct-

Night (nocturnal)

Null-

None (nullopara)

Nyct-

Night (nyctalopia)

Oligo-

Small, Deflictent (oliguria)

Ortho-

Staight, Nomal (orthodontist)

Pan-

All (pandemic)

Para-

Near, Beyond, Apart from (paramedic)

Per-

Through (percutaneous)

Peri-

Around (pericardium)

Poly-

Much, Many (polycythemia)

Post-

After, Beyond (postpartum)

Pre-, Pro-

Before, In front of (prenatal)

Prim-

First (primary)

Proto-

First (prototype)

Pseudo-

False (pseudonym)

Retro-

Backward, Located behind (retroperitoneal)

Reticulo-

Network (endoplasmic reticulum)

Schizo-

Split, Divide (schizophrenia)

Sub-

Under, Beneath, Below (submucosa)

Super-

Above, Beyond (superficial)

Supra-

Above, Over (suprarenal)

Sym-, Syn-

With, Together, Jointed (symphysis)

Tachy-

Rapid (tachycardia)

Tetra-, Quadra-

Four (tetralogy)

Trans-

Across, Through, Beyond (active transport)

Tri-

Three (trigone)