PREFIXES PREFIX a-, anabadambianaantiapoautobenecata-, catcentro, centricircumcomconcontradedia-, didisdyseectoen-, emendoepiesoeuexheterohomohyperhypoilimiminininterintrairmacromal, malemeta-

MEANING not, without away from to, toward both up, back, again against from, away from self good down, against around, center around with, together with, together against down, away through, across apart, not ill, difficult, bad out of, from on the outside in within, inside upon inward, within well, good out of, from other, different same over under not not into not into between within not large bad, evil beyond

EXAMPLES amoral, anesthetic, apolitical, asocial abduction, abstain, abnormal ad, adjacent (lying near to) ambidextrous, ambivalent analogy, anatomy, anagram antipathy, antiwar, antisocial apology, apologize autobiography, automobile, autocracy, automaton benediction benevolent benefactor catastrophe--a turning down concentric, centrifugal circumlocution circumference, circumvent communal, community connect, confide conspire contradict, contravene descend, deject (cast down) diameter, division disengage, discord, discomfort dysfunctional, dysentery elect (choose out of), eject (throw out) ectoderm--outer skin empathy--feeling in endoscope--instrument for observing inside epitaph epidermis, epicenter esoteric--more inward, esophagus euthanasia--good death exhume, exhale, exodus heterosexual, heterodoxy, heterodox heterogeneous homosexual, homogeneous, homogenized hypertension, hypersensitive, hyperactivity hypotension, hypodermic illegitimate, illicit, illegal, illegible imperfect, impolite, impossible imbibe (drink in, take in) indiscreet, invisible incorporate (take into the body) intervene (come between), interstate intrastate, intramural irregular, irrational, irredeemable macrocosm, macroeconomics malediction malevolent, malnutrition metaphysical

micromononeoobpalin-, palipanparaperperiphil-, philopolypostpreproprosprotopseudo reretrosesubsur-, supersyn-, sym-, syl-, systeletrans-

small one, single new, recent against back, again all, every false through around like, lover of many, several after before for, forward toward, in front first false again, back back away from under over, above with, together

microscope, microcosm, microeconomics monologue, monotheism, monarchy, monogamy neologism, neo-liberal, neonatology. neolithic object, obstruct (build against) palindrome pantheism, Pan-Hellenic, panorama, pandemic paramilitary, paralegal, parachute percolate (flow through) perforate (punch through) perimeter, periscope philosophy, Francophile, bibliophile, philanthropy polygon, polygamy, polytechnic, polytheism postgraduate, posthumous postpone precede, predict (tell before) promote, project prospect—view in front, something coming up prototype, protoplasm, protobiology pseudonym, pseudoscience repeat, recede, regress (step back) retrogression, retroactive seduce (lead away), secede submarine, subject, subhuman subterranean superhuman, superego, superintend, sur symphony, synonym, system, syllable

distant, far off across

telephone, telepathy, television, telegram transient, Transatlantic, transport (carry across)

SUFFIXES SUFFIX -agog, -agogue -cide -ectomy -ia, -y -ic, -tic, -ical, -ac -ics -isk, -iscus -ism -ist -ite -logy -oid

DEFINITION leader kill(ing) cutting act, state having to do with

EXAMPLE demagogue, pedagogue

patricide, infanticide, herbicide. suicide appendectomy, splenectomy amnesia, mania, democracy, anarchy anthropomorphic, dramatic, biblical, cardiac things having to do with optics, physics small asterisk--a little star the belief in pacifism, terrorism, socialism, communism one who believes in pacifist, terrorist, socialist, communist one connected with meteorite, polite, cosmopolite study field of biology, geology, etymology, cardiology resembling, like-shaped asteroid, spheroid

-or, -er -phobia

one who takes part in exaggerated fear

-sis

act, state, condition of

doctor, actor, teacher, driver photophobia, claustrophobia, agoraphobia analysis

Prefix Meaning of Prefix Words Formed Using the Prefix re again replay, resend, replace hyper over hyperactive, hypersensitive, hyperventilate un not unclear, unsure, undecided tri three triangle, tricycle, triweekly pre before prepay, prepackage, predate mis wrong misconduct, misspell, misunderstand sub below subway, substandard, submarine Prefix Meaning ante before auto self bi two circum around equi equal im not hypo under inter between neo new omni all poly many retro backward semi half trans across

A Handful of Suffixes

Suffix

Meaning

Examples

able, ible

able to be, capable of being

pourable, drinkable, readable, washable, curable, visible, flexible, collectible

ance, ancy

state of, process of

performance, reliance, defiance, radiance, acceptance, ascendancy, discrepancy, infancy

dom

condition, office, state

kingdom, freedom, wisdom, sheikdom, fiefdom, sheikdom

ee

one who receives

payee, mortgagee, employee, appointee, abductee, examinee, referee, refugee

er, or

one who does [the verb]

driver, hiker, reader, manager, polisher, speaker, counselor, author, creator, director, sculptor

ful

filled with

frightful, delightful, wonderful, cupful, wakeful, bashful, bountiful, beautiful,

cheerful, colorful, dreadful, fateful ify

to make into

purify, deify, simplify, clarify, petrify

ification

process of making into

purification, deification, simplifiction, clarification, petrification

ish

the nature of, resembling

Cornish, Irish, bookish, freakish, foolish, boorish, selfish, sluggish, priggish

ism

doctrine, system, characteristic quality

capitalism, heroism, optimism, skepticism, realism, patriotism, communism, idealism, conservatism

ist

one who performs; an adherent of an ism

tympanist, cellist, idealist, communist, realist, moralist, pharamacist, pragmatist

ize

to make into

rationalize, normalize, realize, capitalize

ization

the process of making into

rationalization, normalization, realization, capitalization

without

loveless, fearless, worthless, nameless, baseless, bottomless, effortless, friendless, noiseless, harmless

less

Suffixes - their importance in spelling A suffix is simply an ending that's added to a base word to form a new word. Let's look at some examples: Base word Suffix New Word interest-ing interesting noise -y noisy breath -less breathless popular -ity popularity drop -let droplet