prefixes suffixes and meanings
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Intervenant
Laurence Petoud
Executive Assistant
Formatrice en Entreprise
ECDL Expert
laurence.petoud@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/CambridgeExamsPreparation
http://fce-cae.blog4ever.com/
This support has been developed as part of my revisions for exams First Certificate in English.
List of Prefixes and Meanings
A THRU D
ab,absfrom, away from
abduct = lead away, kidnap,abjure = renounce
ad,ac,af,ag,an,ap,ar,as,at
to, forward
advance = move forwardaccord = agreement, harmony,affliction = cause by distressaggregation = collection,annexation = addition,appease = bring toward peace,arraignment = indictment,assumption = taking for granted,attendance = presence, the persons present
ambi bothambiguous = double meaning,ambivalent = having conflicting emotions
an, a withoutanarchy = lack of government,amoral = without morals
ante beforeantecedent = preceding event or word,antediluvian = ancient
antiagainst, opposite
antipathy = hatred of,antithetical = exactly opposite
arch chief, firstarchetype = original, first, headarchbishop = chief bishop
beover, thoroughly
bedaub = smear over,befuddle = confuse thoroughly
bi twobicameral = composed of two houses,biennial = every two years
cata downcatastrophe = disaster,cataract = waterfall,catapult = hurl
circum aroundcircumnavigate = sail around,circumspect = cautious,circumscribe = limit
com,co,
with, together combine = merge with,coeditor = joint editor,
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col,con,cor
collateral = subordinate, connectedconference = meeting,corroborate = confirm
contra, contro againstcontravene = conflict with,controversy = dispute
de down, awaydebase = lower in value,decadence = deterioration
demi partly, half demigod = partly divine being
di twodichotomy = into two parts,dilemma = choice between two alternatives
dia acrossdiagonal = across a figure,diameter = distance across a circle
dis, dif not, apartdiscord = lack of harmony,differ = disagree
dys faulty, baddysfunctional = not functioning properly
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Numerical PrefixesThe numerical prefixes in the English Language typically come to us via Latin or Greek.What's more, they show a degree of precision that shouldn't be confused once you know what the number prefixes mean.For instance, when a country celebrates its Centennial, we know that it's one hundred years old because 'cent' comes from 'centum ‘meaning one hundred.But what about centenarian? The word, of course, means a person who is 100 years old.
Now, what about words like Pentecost? Not everyone knows that it means fiftieth.The more common words with numerical prefixes are words we use without even realising that they have a number prefix.
Words like decade, bicycle, quadriceps, monorail, and century, all have number prefixes giving a good indication as to what the words mean.
NUMERICAL PREFIXES MEANINGS AND USAGE
1 mono, uni2 di, bi3 tri4 tetra, quad5 penta, quint6 hexa, sex7 hepta, sept8 octa, octo9 ennea, novem10 deca20 icosa30 triaconta40 tetraconta50 penteconta60 hexeconta70 evdomiconta80 ogdoiconta90 enneaconta100 hecatocentmillikilomegagigatera
one, onlytwothreefourfivesixseveneightninetentwentythirtyfortyfiftysixtyseventyeightyninetyone hundredone hundredthousandthousandmillionbilliontrillion
monorail, unicycledichotomy, bicycletriathlon, tricycletetrachord, quadracyclepentagon, quintupletshexagon, sextupletsheptathlon, Septemberoctopus, octogenarianenneagram, Novemberdecade
centurymilleniumkilobytemegabytegigabyteterabyte
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Prefix Meanings Use
macro large, longmacrobiotic = tending to prolong life
macrocosm = the great world
mega great, millionmegalomania = delusions of grandeur
megaton = million tons of TNT
meta involving change metamorphosis = change of form
micro smallmicrocosm = miniature universemicroscopic = extremely small
mis bad, impropermisdemeanor = minor crime
mischance = unfortunate accident
mis hatredmisanthrope = He who hates mankind
misogynist = woman-hater
mono onemonarchy = government of one ruler
monotheism = belief in one god
multi manymultifarious = having many parts
multitudinous = numerous
neo newneologism = newly coined word
neophyte = beginner
non notnoncommittal = undecided
nonchalant = with ease
obocofop
against
obstruct = blockocclude = close, block out
offend = insultopponent = someone who struggles against
olig few oligarchy = government by a few
pan all, every
panacea = cure allpanorama = unobstructed view in all
directions
para beyond, relatedparallel = similar
paraphrase = restate, translate
per through, completely
permeable = allowing passage through
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pervade = spread throughout
peri around, nearperimeter = outer boundary
periphery = edge
poly many polyglot = speaking several languages
post after posthumous = after death
pre beforepreamble = introductory statement
premonition = forewarning
prim firstprimordial = existing at the dawn of time
primogeniture = state of being the first born
pro forward, in favor ofpropulsive = driving forward
proponent = supporter
proto first prototype = first of its kind
pseudo false pseudonym = pen name
re again, backeiterate = repeat
reimburse = pay back
retro backward retrospect = look back in time
se away, asidesecede = withdraw
seclude = shut away
semi half, partly semiconscious = partly conscious
subsucsufsugsupsus
under, less
subjugate = bring under controlsuccumb = yield, cease to resist
suffuse = spread throughsuggest = hint
suppress = put down by forcesuspend = delay, temporarily cease
super, sur over, abovesupernatural = above natural things
surtax = additional taxsurcharge = additional expense
synsymsyl
with, together synchronize = timed togethersympathize = pity, identify with
syllogism = explanation of how ideas relate
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sys system = network
tele fartelegraphic = communication over a distance
telescopic = seeing far away
trans acrosstransport = carry across
transcontinental = across continent
ultra beyond, excessiveultra conservative = exceedingly conservative
ultraviolet = beyond red
un not unkempt = not combed, disheveled
under belowunderling = someone inferior
understudy = one who studiesunder
uni oneunison = oneness of pitch, complete accord
union = in or with agreement
vice in place ofviceroy = acting in place of a king
vice-president = acts in place of president
with away, against withstand = stand up against, resist
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English Suffixes
Most English suffixes can tell you the type of word you're dealing with. For instance, most people know that when a word ends in ly they are dealing with an adverb.
Adverbs typically tell you the how of something.
As an example, let's say that you are a nice singer. To change nice into an adverb and to say how you do something we would add one of the English suffixes -- in this case "ly" -- and say not only are you a nice singer, but that you sing (how?)nicely.
Thankfully, there aren't that many suffixes to learn in the English Language, but they are important and certain rules do apply.
Common English suffixes below show you the kind of word formed and the type of suffix they are.
Verb Suffixes
ize, ise to make criticize, hypnotizeate to make consecrate, mitigateen cause to become strengthen, weaken, lengthenfy make simplify, testify, fortifyced, cede to go, to give in intercede, recededuc, duct to lead induct
Adverb Suffixes
ly, (y) like neatly, quietly
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English Suffixes - Adjectives
able, ible capable of understandableac, ic like, pertaining to cardiac, metallicacious, icious full of delicious, audaciousant, ent full of militant, delinqentary, ery like, connected with ordinary, dictionary, braveryescent becoming, in process adolescentfic making, doing terific, scientificiferous producing, bearing vociforousil, ile pertaining to, capable of infantileive like imaginative, redemptiveless lacking timelessoid resembling, like negroid, ovoidful full of stressful, resentfulose full of verbose, moroseous full of spacious
English Suffixes - Nouns
ation that which is justificationcy state of being democracyeer, er, or the person who mountaineer, teachergraph to write phonograph, lithographism doctrine, belief statismist dealer, doer scientistity state of being calamityment act or state of refinement, confinementory having quality of advisoryosis condition osmosisous full of generoustude state of gratitude
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Suffixes ListIn fact, suffixes can help you immediately determine whether the word is a noun, verb, adjective or adverb.
Suffixes can also show you if something is in the past or present tense, or whether the word you are dealing with is singular or plural.
suffixes list meaning use
able, ible capable of
(adjective suffix) drinkable - able to be dranklegible - able to be read
ac, ic like, pertaining to
Zodiac - pertaining to animals, lifedemocratic - pertaining to democracy
acious, icious full of audacious - full of daring,avaricious - full of greed
al pertaining to beneficial - bringing benefitlogical - pertaining to logic
ant, ent full of eloquent - fluid, effective speech.ardent - full of passion
ary like, connected with
revolutionary - some one connected with a revolutiontemporary - connected with time or duration
ate to make
(verb suffix)
desecrate - to ruin, make unholymitigate - make less severe
ation that which is(noun suffix)
irritation - that which is irritated
cy state of being(noun suffix)
democracy - ruled by peopleobstinacy - obstinate state, stubbornness
eer, er, or person who
(noun suffix)
engineer - designs enginesteacher - person who teachesadvisor - person who advises
escent becoming (adjective suffix) evanescent - tending to vanishpubescent - arriving at puberty
fic making, doing
(adjective suffix)
fantastic - arousing great wonderterrific - arousing great fear
ity state of being(noun suffix)
sagacity - state of being wise
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fy to make (verb suffix) magnify - to enlargepetrify - turn to stone
iferous producing, bearing(adjective suffix)
pestiferous - carrying diseasevociferous - having a loud voice
il, ile pertaining to, capable of
(adjective suffix) civil - politedocile - easily taught or led
ism doctrine, belief(noun suffix)
monotheism - belief in one Goddeism - belief in God but not religion
ist dealer, doer(noun suffix)
realist - one who is realisticdentist - works with teeth
ive like (adjective suffix) quantitative - concerned with number or volume
ize, ise to make
(verb suffix)
harmonize - make harmoniousrevolutionize - make revolutionary
oid resembling, like
(adjective suffix)
ovoid - like an egganthropoid - resembling a human
ose full of (adjective suffix) verbose - full of words
osis condition (noun suffix) psychosis - diseased mental conditionhypnosis - induced sleep
ous full of
(adjective suffix) nauseous - full of nausealudicrous - foolish
tude state of (noun suffix) fortitude - state of strengthservitude - state of serving
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Suffix Meaningsable, ible capable of (adjective suffix)
ac, ic like, pertaining to
acious, icious full of
al pertaining to
ant, ent full of
ary like, connected with
ate to make (verb suffix)
ation that which is (noun suffix)
ced, cede to go, to give in
cy state of being (noun suffix)
duc, duct to lead
eer, er, or the person who (noun suffix)
escent becoming (adjective suffix)
fic making, doing (adjective suffix)
fy to make (verb suffix)
ful full of
graph to write
iferous producing, bearing (adjective suffix)
il, ile pertaining to, capable of (adjective suffix)
ism doctrine, belief (noun suffix)
ist dealer, doer (noun suffix)
ity state of being (noun suffix)
ive like (adjective suffix)
ize, ise to make (verb suffix)
less lacking
ment act or state of
ness quality of
oid resembling, like (adjective suffix)
ose full of (adjective suffix)
ory having quality of
osis condition (noun suffix)
ous full of (adjective suffix)
tude state of (noun suffix)
pose to place
scrib, script to write
spect to appear, to see
ship art or skill of
some full of like
tact to touch
ten, tent, tain to hold
tend, tens, tent to stretch
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tract to draw
tude quality of, ability to
ven, vent to come
ver, vert, vers to turn
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