List of English Prefixes with Meanings and

Examples
English prefixes are affixes (i.e., bound morphemes that provide lexical
meaning) that are added before either simple roots or complex bases (or
operands) consisting of (a) a root and other affixes, (b) multiple roots, or (c)
multiple roots and other affixes. Examples of these follow:

 - Undo (consisting of prefix un- and root do)

 - Untouchable (consisting of prefix un-, root touch, and suffix -able)
 - Non-childproof (consisting of prefix non-, root child, and root proof)
 - Non-childproofable (consisting of prefix non-, root child, root proof,
and suffix -able)

English words may consist of multiple prefixes: anti-pseudo-classicism

(containing both an anti- prefix and a pseudo- prefix).
In English, all prefixes are derivational. This contrasts with English suffixes,
which may be either derivational or inflectional.
List of English prefixes

Prefix Meaning Example

verb > predicative adjective with
a- afloat, atremble
progressive aspect
a- not acyclic, asexual, atonal, atheist
anti-freeze, antivirus,
anti- against, opposite
anticlimax, Antichrist
arch- supreme, highest, worst arch-rival, archangel
equipped with, covered with,
bedeviled, becalm, bedazzle,
be- beset with (pejorative or
bewitch
facetious)
co-worker, coordinator,
co- joint, with, accompanying
cooperation
counter- against, in opposition to counteract, counterpart
de- reverse action, get rid of de-emphasize
dis- not, opposite of disloyal, disagree
dis- reverse action, get rid of disconnect, disinformation
to make into, to put into, to get
en-/em- enmesh, empower
into
ex-husband, ex-boss, ex-
ex- former
colleague, ex-friend
forearm, forehead, forehand,
fore- before, in front
forerunner
hind- after hindsight, hindquarters
mal- bad(ly) malnourish, maladjusted
mid- middle midstream, midlife
midi- medium-sized midi-length
minimarket, mini-room,
mini- small
minivan
misinformation, misguide,
mis- wrong, astray
misfortune
out- better, faster, longer, beyond outreach, outcome
over- excessive, above overreact, overact, overbearing
post-election, post-graduation,
post- after, behind
post-war
prevent, previous, pre-election,
pre- before
pre-enter, pre-select
pro- for, forward, in favor of propulsion, propound, pro-life
re- again, back redo, revisit, rerun, reorganize
self- self self-sufficient, self-explanatory
step- family relation by remarriage stepbrother, stepmother
trans- across, from one place to transatlantic, transSiberian
 another
twi- two twibill, twilight
unnecessary, unequal,
un- not, against, opposite of
undesirable, unhappy
reverse action, deprive of,
un- undo, untie, unexpected, unlock
release from
underachieve, underground,
below, beneath, lower in
under- underpass, underdeveloped,
grade/dignity, lesser, insufficient
underrated
up- greater, higher, or better upgrade, uplift, upsurge
with- against, back, away (from) withstand, withcall
Afro- relating to Africa Afro-American, Afro-Caribbean
ambi- both ambidextrous, ambitendency
amphiaster, amphitheatre,
amphi- around, two, both, on both sides
amphibian
an-/a- not, without anemic, asymmetric
ana-, an- up, against anacardiaceous, anode
Anglo-Norman, Anglo-Saxon,
Anglo- relating to England
Anglo-American
antenatal, antechamber,
ante- before
antecedent
anti- opposite, against antivenom
apo-, ap- away from, detached aphelion, apogee, apomorphine
astrobiology, astrology,
astro- star
astronomy
autobiography, automatic,
auto- self
autonomy,
bi- two bicycle, biped
bio- life, biological biology
circum- around, surrounding circumnavigate
cis- on this side of cislunar
con-/com-/col- confederation, commingle,
together or with
/cor-/co- colleague, correlation, cohabit
contra- opposite contradict, contraindication
cryo- ice cryogenics
crypto- hidden, secret cryptography
de- down depress, descend
demi- half demigod
demo- people democracy, demography
deuter- second deuteragonist, deuterogamy
di- two dicotyledon, digamy, dioxide
dia- through dialysis, diameter
dis-/di-/dif- apart differ, dissect, divide
du-/duo- two dual, duet
eco- ecological ecosystem
 electro-analysis,
electro- electric, electricity
electromagnetic
en-, el-, em- in ellipsis, emphasis, energetic
epi-, ep- upon, at, close upon, in addition ephemeron, epicentre, epidermis
Euro- European Eurocentric
exit, expel, explode, exploit,
ex- out of
explore, export
extra- outside extracurricular
Francophile, Franco-British,
Franco- French, France
Franco-German
relating to the earth or its
geo- geography, geology, geometry
surface
gyrocopter, gyroscope,
gyro- spinning on an axis
gyrosphere
hetero- different heterosexual
hemi- half hemimorphic, hemisphere
homo- same homogenous, homologous
hydro- relating to water, or using water hydroelectricity, hydrant
hyper- above, over hyperthermia
hypo- under or below something, low hypothermia
ideo- image, idea ideograph, ideaology
idio- individual, personal, unique idiolect, idiopathic
in- in, into insert, include
relating to the Indian
Indo- Indo-European
subcontinent
illicit, impossible, inexact,
in-, il-, im-, ir- not, opposite of
irregular
infra- below, beneath infrared
inter- among, between interact, intercede, international
intra- inside, within intravenous
iso- equal isochromatic, isotherm
macr- long macrobiotic
maxi- very long, very large maxi-skirt
mega-, megalo- great, large megastar, megalopolis
after, along with, beyond,
meta- metabolism, metaphysics
among, behind
micro- small microbacillus
monogamy, monotone,
mono-, mon- sole, only
monosyllabic
multicultural, multi-storey,
multi-, mult- many
multitude
neo- new neolithic, neoclassical
non- not nonexistent
omnipotent, omnipresent,
omni- all
omnivore
ortho- correcting or straightening orthodontics, orthotropic
paleo- old paleolithic
pan-African, pandemic,
pan- all, worldwide
panorama
para- beside, beyond parallel, paranormal
ped- foot pedal, pedestrian
through, completely, wrongly,
per- permeate, permute
exceedingly
peri- around, near or adjacent perihelion, periphrase
photo- light photoelectric, photography
pod- foot podiatrist
poly- many polygon, polyhedron
post- after postfix, postpone, postscript
pre- before predict, prepare, preview
preter- beyond, past, more than preternatural
pro- for, substitute, deputy proconsul
pro- before procambium
pros- toward prosthesis
proto- first, original protoplasm, prototype
pseudo- false, imitation pseudonym
pyro- fire pyrokinetic, pyrotechnic
partly, almost, appearing to be
quasi- quasi-religious
but not really
retro- backwards retrograde
semi- half semicircle
socio- society, social, sociological sociopath
submarine, subterranean,
sub-, sup- below, under
suburban, support
super- above, over supervisor, superintendent
supra- above, over suprarenal
sur- above, over surreal, surrender
syn-, sy-, syl-, syllable, symbol, synthesis,
together, with
sym- system
telegraph, telephone, telescope,
tele- at a distance
television
trans- over, through, across transverse
tri- three tricycle, tripartite
ultramagnetic, ultrasonic,
ultra- beyond
ultraviolet
uni- one, consisting of only one unicycle, universal
vice-president, vice-principal,
vice- deputy
vice-admiral