Prefix Examples

A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of the word to change the meaning of the word. It is the opposite of a suffix, which is added to the end of a word. Prefixes and suffixes are also called affixes. All affixes change the meaning or part of speech of a word. Typically suffixes change the meaning or part of speech, and prefixes change the meaning only.

The list below includes a few of the most common prefixes in the English language, along with their meanings and several example words. This is not an exhaustive list of prefixes. It is important for readers to know common prefixes because this knowledge helps readers to break down complex words into the word parts to determine the meaning of the word.

Anti- means against. Words: antibiotic, antisocial, antidote
Under- means below or under. Words: understudy, underbelly, underwear
Dis- means not. Words: dislike, dishonest, distrust
Fore- means before. Words: forecast, foreward, foresee
Mis- means wrong. Words: misspell, mistake, misuse
Bi- means two. Words: bicycle, bidirectional, binary
Mono- means one. Words: mononucleosis, monotone, monopoly
Re- means again. Words: reuse, retake, rerun, remake
Pre- means before. Words: premake, preview, pretest
Tri- means three. Words: triangle, tricycle, trident
Quad- means four. Words: quadrilateral, quadrant
In- means not. Words: incessant, incorrect, inescapable
Ante- means before. Words: antechamber, antecedent, anteroom
Hyper- means over. Words: hyperactive, hyperglycemic, hyperventilate
Hypo- means less or under. Words: hypoglycemic, hypothetical, hypothalamus
Auto- means self. Words: autopilot, autograph, automatic
Poly- means many or multi. Words: polygon, polygamy, polysyllable
Post- means after. Words: posttest, posthumous, postgame
Uni- means one. Words: unicycle, unilateral, unicorn
Sub- means under. Words: subfloor, submarine, subconscious
Trans- means cross. Words: transcontinental, transportation, transatlantic
Un- means not. Words: unfriendly, uninterested, unfortunate
Semi- means half. Words: semicircle, semiautomatic, semifinal