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Common Prefix Table WC

This document provides a summary of common negative prefixes in English and their meanings. It lists the most frequent negative prefixes like de-, dis-, in-, non-, and un- and provides examples of how they form the opposites of base words. For instance, de- often makes verbs negative, in- makes adjectives and nouns negative, and un- is commonly used for adjectives. The document also notes exceptions where prefixes like in- and non- do not carry negative meanings. Overall, the document serves as a helpful guide to understanding how prefixes change a word's meaning.

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Carolyn Macefield
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123 views

Common Prefix Table WC

This document provides a summary of common negative prefixes in English and their meanings. It lists the most frequent negative prefixes like de-, dis-, in-, non-, and un- and provides examples of how they form the opposites of base words. For instance, de- often makes verbs negative, in- makes adjectives and nouns negative, and un- is commonly used for adjectives. The document also notes exceptions where prefixes like in- and non- do not carry negative meanings. Overall, the document serves as a helpful guide to understanding how prefixes change a word's meaning.

Uploaded by

Carolyn Macefield
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Common Prefix Table with notes about common negative prefixes

Learning common prefixes is one simple way to increase your vocabulary. Just studying this list of about
50 common prefixes can help you recognize hundreds of words.

Prefix Meaning Examples See Also


a-, an- not, without anesthetic. atheist
ab- away, from abject, abscess
ad- , a-, ac -, as- to, toward access, admit, assist
ante- before antecedent, anterior fore-, pre-
anti- against antibiotics, antioxidant contra-
auto- self autoimmune, autonomous
ben- good benefit, benign eu-
bi - two, both bifocals, bipolar
circum- around circumference, circumscribe peri-
co-, com-, con- with companion, concurrent, sym-
conform
contra-, counter- against contradict, counteract anti-
de- not, from, down, or degenerate, depart, negative prefixes
completely depress below (also ob-)
di-, dis- not, apart disadvantage, displacement negative prefixes
eu- good, normal eugenics, eulogy ben-
ex- out (of), former expose, extract
exo-, extra- outside exoskeleton, extraordinary
fore- before foreshadow, foretell ante-, pre-
hemi- half hemisphere, semi-
hyper- above, excessive hyperactive, hypertension over-, super-, ultra
hypo- under, insufficient hypodermic, hypothetical sub-, under-
il- , im-, in- , ir- not illegitimate, inadequate negative prefixes
inter- between, among interpose, intervene
intra- within intramural, intravenous
macro- large macrobiotic, macrocosm
mal- bad malfunction, malignant
micro- small microbe, microscope
mis- wrong, wrongly misanthrope, misinform
mono - one monolingual, monopoly uni-
multi- many multiple, multitask poly-
non- not nonexistent, nonsense negative prefixes
ob-, oc-, -op against, down, over, object, occur, oppose de-
completely
omni- all omnipotent, omnivorous pan-
over- excessive, over overactive, overflow hyper-, super-, ultra
pan- all pandemic, pantheism omni
-
peri- around peripheral, periscope circum-
poly- many polygamous, polygon multi-
post- after postgraduate, postpone
pre-, pro- before, forward (pro- predict, precede, provide ante-, fore-
also ‘in favor of’)
quad- four quadriplegic, quadrangle
re- again, back reform, retain, regenerate
semi- half, partially semiannual, semiconscious hemi-
sub- under, almost submarine, subtropical hypo-, under-
super-, supra - above, excessive superlative, suprarenal hyper-, over-, ultra
sym-, syn- with, together sympathy, synthetic co-
trans- across, through transform, transportation
tri- three tricycle, triple
ultra- beyond, excessive ultraliberal, ultrasonic hyper-, over-, super-
un- not unknown, unlimited negative prefixes
under- too little, under underestimate, underwrite hypo-, sub-
uni- one uniform, unilateral mono-
The Most Common Negative Prefixes

These prefixes make the following word negative. (They negate the base word, reversing its meaning
and turning it into its antonym, or opposite.) De- is almost always before a verb, or a word formed from
that verb. In-, non-, and un- are usually used for nouns, adjectives, or the adverbs formed from them,
and they mean not _____.

Note that sometimes one prefix is used for an adjective, & different ones for related nouns or verbs.

Examples:
unstable, instability, (to) destabilize;
unable, inability, (to) disable;
unbalanced, imbalance, (to) unbalance.

Usually, however, the same prefix serves both adjective and noun: uncertain, uncertainty; unwilling,
unwillingness; unfriendly, unfriendliness, inadequate, inadequacy, disloyal, disloyalty, etc.

Negative Prefixes With A Few More Examples:

1. de-
debug, decode, decompose, decontaminate, deform, defrost, dehydrate, demythologize, derail,
detoxify. Note that the prefix de- in Latin (and in words that originate in Latin) has other, contrary
meanings as well as sometimes making words negative. (See table and examples above.) It is often
used as an intensifier, meaning completely (as in demand or deliberate), as well as meaning from, down,
or away. When used with an English verb to make a new word, it works as a negative. (Debug, defrost,
devalue.)

2. dis-
disaffected, disagree, disagreement, disagreeable, dishonorable, disloyal, distasteful. (Tasteful refers to
something that shows good taste or judgment. Things which are pleasant to the taste buds are ‘tasty.’
Distasteful refers to tasks that are unpleasant. Foods that lack flavor are tasteless. A lack of good taste
in aesthetics can also be called tasteless.)

3. in- (or, for better sound, –im before b, m, or p; -il before l; & -ir before r):
inability, inaccessible, instability, imbalance, immature, immaturity, impatient, impossible, illegal,
illegible, illiterate, illogical, irrational, irregular, irrelevant, irreparable, irresistible, irresponsible, etc.

Exceptions in which ‘in-‘ does not negate, but intensifies: Inflammable has the same meaning as
flammable-- something that burns easily. Their opposite is nonflammable. The same is true for
habitable and inhabitable (the negative is uninhabitable) and valuable and invaluable— except that
invaluable is even stronger.

4. non-
nonconformist, nonentity, nonintervention, nonmetallic, nonpartisan, nonresident, nonrestrictive,
nonstop, etc. Some words can be negated with non- or with another negative. In those cases non- is the
most neutral in connotation. For example, nonstandard means not according to the usual standard, but
substandard is below the standard: not good. Nonreligious means not religious, but irreligious means
more actively opposed to religion.
5. un-
unable, unnatural, unrealistic, unfriendly (in this case the –ly isn’t for an adverb; friendly & unfriendly
are adjectives), unhelpful, unwilling, unpleasant, unafraid, unclear, unstable, unaffected (not affected at
all; disaffected means affected badly), untouched, unknown, uncertain, unwise, etc.

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