prefixes suffixes and meanings

Intervenant

Laurence Petoud

Executive Assistant

Formatrice en Entreprise

ECDL Expert

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This support has been developed as part of my revisions for exams First Certificate in English.


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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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prefixes suffixes and meanings

Education

petoud https

numerical prefixes meanings

havenumber prefixes

list of prefixes

common words

lack of government

lack of harmony

meanings usemacro large