1. Chapter 4
Prefixes

2. Chapter Goals
• Define basic prefixes used in the medical language.
• Analyze medical terms that combine prefixes and other word
elements.
• Learn about the Rh condition as an example of an antigenantibody reaction.

3. Prefixes and Terminology
Prefix
Meaning
a-, an-
no, not, without
ab-
away from
ad-
toward
ana-
up, apart
ante-
before, forward

4. Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)
Prefix
Meaning
contra-
against, opposite
de-
down, lack of
dia-
through, complete
dys-
bad, painful, difficult, abnormal
ec-, ecto
out, outside
endo-
in, within

5. Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)
Prefix
Meaning
epi-
upon, on, above
eu-
good, normal
ex-
out, outside, away from
hemi-
half
hyper-
excessive, above
hypo-
deficient, under

6. Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)
Prefix
Meaning
in-
not
in-
into, within
infra-
beneath, under
inter-
between
intra-
in, within, into
macro-
large

7. Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)
Prefix
Meaning
mal-
bad
meta-
beyond, change
micro-
small
neo-
new
pan-
all
para-
abnormal, beside, near

8. Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)
Prefix
Meaning
per-
through
peri-
surrounding
poly-
many, much
post-
after, behind
pre-
before, in front of
pro-
before, forward

9. Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)
Prefix
Meaning
pros-
before, forward
re-
back, again
retro-
behind, backward
sub-
under
suprasyn-, sym-
above, upper
together, with

10. Prefixes and
Terminology (cont’d)
Prefix
Meaning
tachy-
fast
trans-
across, through
ultra-
beyond, excess
uni-
one

11. All information taken from
The Language Of
Medicine
th
10
edition
Davi-Ellen Chabner