Latin Prefixes and Elements

Prefix

Meaning

Examples

AB-

variants

A-

ABS- before t, c

away, from, off,

refusal, separation

Abnormal – differing from normal

Avert – turn away

Abstract – separated from concrete

AD-

variants

A- before sc, sp, st

AC- before c, k,q

AF- before f

AG- before g

AL- before l

AN- before n

AP- before p

AR- before r

AS- before s

AT- before t

to, at, close to, beside,

approach

Adjoin – to be next to something, to join to some object

Aspire - to desire and work towards achieving something important

Accompany – to join, to go together

Affix – to stick something to something else

Agglutinate – to stick with glue

Alloy – to mix one metal to another

Annex – to add something as a part

Appendix – added part of a book etc

Arrive – to come to a place

Assent – to agree to something

Attend – to be present at a meeting etc

ANTE-

before, earlier

Antedate - to come from an earlier time in history

BI-

variants

BIN-, BIS-

twice, double,

of two parts

Bicycle – a vehicle with two wheels

Binocular – a pair of glasses like short telescopes

CIRCUM-

Around

Circumnavigate – to sail completely around the Earth

COM-

variants

CO- before vowels and gn, h

COL- before l

CON- before other consonants

COR- before r

together, with

Combine – to mix, join together

Co-exist – to exist at the same time or in the same place

Collect – to bring together the things of the same type

Connect – to join things together

Correlation – a connection between two ideas, facts etc

CONTRA-

variants

CONTRO-, COUNTER-

Against

Contravene – to do something against law regulations

Controversy – a serious argument or disagreement

Counterattack – an attack that you make against someone who has attacked you

DE-

off, down,

separation, deprivation, absence

Depart – to leave the place, go away

Descend – to move down

Denude – to remove a natural part of something

DIS-

variant

DI-

division, disconnection,

negation

Disbelief – a feeling that something is not true

Digress – to move away from the main subject

EX-

variants

E- before consonants

EF- before f

ES- before s, c

out of, off, up

Exclude – to keep out of place or group

Erase – to remove information from a computer memory or from a tape

Efface – to remove a mark or sign from a surface

Escape – to get away from a place

EXTRA-

out, outside

Extrajudicial – outside the ordinary powers of the law

IN-

variants

IL- before l

IM- before b, m,p

IR- before r

1. not; negation

2. in, inside

Inactive - not doing anything or not working Install - place in position ready for use

Illegal – not allowed by the law

Immobile – not moving at all

Irregular – happening not in regular periods of time

INTER-

between

Interwar – that happened between the two World Wars

INTRO-

variant

INTRA-

into, inside

Introduce – to bring something into use

Intravenous – (injection) that is done into vein

OB-

variants

O-

OC- before c

OF- before f

OP- before p

to, before,

because of

Obstacle – something that makes it difficult to achieve your aim, blocks your way

Omit – to not include, leave out

Occasion – special event; reason, need

Offense - an illegal action or a crime

Oppose - to disagree with something and try to prevent it from happening

PER-

through,

completion

Permeate – to spread through all parts, penetrate

Perfect – complete, without any faults or weaknesses

POST-

after

postdate – to happen, live, or be made later in history

PRAE- = PRE-

before, in front of,

prior to, ahead

Prefix – the part of word added before the root

PRO-

ahead, forward;

for, support;

instead of

Prologue – the introduction to a play, poem etc, that goes before the main part

Pro-American – speaking for, supporting American position, policy etc

Pronoun – a word that is used instead of a noun or noun phrase

RE-

variant

RED-

again, back

Remake – to make a new version

return – to come back

redeem – recover by effort or payment

SE-

variant

SED-

aside, off the way

Secede – to formally leave an organization

Sedition – speech made to encourage people to disobey the government

SUB-

variants

SU-

SUC- before c

SUF- before f

SUG- before g

SUP- before p

SUR- before r

SUS- before c, p, t

under

Submarine – ship operating under water

Suspect - to think that someone is probably guilty

Succession – things or people going one after another

Suffer – to experience something unpleasant

Suggest – to give someone your idea

Support – to agree with an idea, to want it succeed

Surrender – to give up, to stop fighting

Suspend – to stop something for a short time

SUPER-

variant

SUPRA-

over, above

Superhuman – above usual human power or abilities

Supranational – involving more than one country

TRANS-

variant

TRA-

through, across

Transparent – letting light pass through it

Traverse – to move across, over, or through something

TRI-

of three parts

Triangle – a geometrical shape with three straight sides and three angles

UNI-

variant

UN-

one, single, common, indivisible

Unilateral – done by only one side participating in the situation

Unanimity – a situation in which all people think or act as one

VICE-

instead of, in place of

Vice-president – person responsible for the president's duties if he or she is ill