Medical Terminology: Common Suffixes

Suffixes in Medical Terms

• Suffixes are at the end of a word and add meaning to the root word.
• When building a definition of a medical term, start with the meaning of the suffix.

Types of Suffixes

• Suffixes can indicate procedures (e.g., -scopy means "visual examination").
• Suffixes can indicate conditions (e.g., -itis means "inflammation").
• Suffixes can indicate diseases (e.g., -oma means "tumor").

Common Suffixes

• -ac: Pertaining to
• -ad: Toward
• -al: Pertaining to
• -algia, -dynia: Pain
• -ar: Pertaining to
• -ary: Pertaining to
• -cele: Protrusion
• -centesis: Surgical withdrawal of fluid
• -cide, -cidal: Kill, destroy
• -coccus: Berry shaped
• -cyte: Cell
• -eal: Pertaining to
• -ectomy: Surgical removal
• -emia: Pertaining to blood
• -esis: Condition
• -gen: Substance that produces/causes
• -genic: Produced by
• -gram: Record of
• -graph: Instrument used to record
• -graphy: A process of recording
• -ia: Condition of, diseased state, abnormal state
• -ic, -ior: Pertaining to
• -ism: State of, condition, theory
• -itis: Inflammation
• -logist: Specialist who studies and treats disorders
• -logy: Study of
• -lysis: Destruction, breakdown
• -megaly: Enlargement
• -meter: Instrument used to measure
• -metry: Process of measuring
• -oid: Resembling
• -oma: Tumor
• -opia: Vision condition
• -opsy: To view
• -osis: Abnormal condition
• -ous: Pertaining to
• -pathy: Disease, abnormality
• -penia: Lack of, deficiency
• -pexy: Surgical fixation, suspension
• -phagia: Eating
• -phobia: Intense fear of
• -plasia: Formation, development
• -plasm: Growth, substance, formation
• -plasty: Surgical reconstruction
• -plegia: Paralysis
• -pnea: Breathing
• -poiesis, -poietic: Production, manufacture of
• -ptosis: Drooping
• -rrhage: Excessive flow
• -rrhagia: Excessive flow
• -rrhaphy: Suturing in place, fixation
• -rrhea: Flow, discharge
• -rrhexis: Rupture or breaking away
• -sclerosis: Hardening
• -scope: Instrument used to visually examine
• -scopic: Visual examination
• -scopy: Process of visual examination
• -spasm: Sudden, involuntary
• -stasis: To stop
• -stomy: Artificial surgical opening
• -tome: Instrument used to cut
• -tomy: Process of incision, cutting into
• -tripsy: Crushing
• -trophic, -trophy: Growth, development

Examples of Common Suffixes in Medical Terms

• Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders (-phobia: intense fear of)
• Amniocentesis: Procedure to withdraw fluid from the amniotic sac (-centesis: surgical withdrawal of fluid)
• Anemia: Low levels of hemoglobin in the blood (-emia: pertaining to blood)
• Cardiomegaly: Enlargement of the heart (-megaly: enlargement)
• Colonoscopy: Procedure that visually examines the colon (-scopy: process of visual examination)
• Dyspnea: Difficulty breathing (-pnea: breathing)
• Hemiplegia: Paralysis of one side of the body (-plegia: paralysis)
• Mammography: Radiological process of examining the breast tissue (-graphy: process of recording)

Suffixes in Medical Terms

• Suffixes are at the end of a word and add meaning to the root word.
• When building a definition of a medical term, start with the meaning of the suffix.

Types of Suffixes

• Suffixes can indicate procedures (e.g., -scopy means "visual examination").
• Suffixes can indicate conditions (e.g., -itis means "inflammation").
• Suffixes can indicate diseases (e.g., -oma means "tumor").

Common Suffixes

• -ac: Pertaining to
• -ad: Toward
• -al: Pertaining to
• -algia, -dynia: Pain
• -ar: Pertaining to
• -ary: Pertaining to
• -cele: Protrusion
• -centesis: Surgical withdrawal of fluid
• -cide, -cidal: Kill, destroy
• -coccus: Berry shaped
• -cyte: Cell
• -eal: Pertaining to
• -ectomy: Surgical removal
• -emia: Pertaining to blood
• -esis: Condition
• -gen: Substance that produces/causes
• -genic: Produced by
• -gram: Record of
• -graph: Instrument used to record
• -graphy: A process of recording
• -ia: Condition of, diseased state, abnormal state
• -ic, -ior: Pertaining to
• -ism: State of, condition, theory
• -itis: Inflammation
• -logist: Specialist who studies and treats disorders
• -logy: Study of
• -lysis: Destruction, breakdown
• -megaly: Enlargement
• -meter: Instrument used to measure
• -metry: Process of measuring
• -oid: Resembling
• -oma: Tumor
• -opia: Vision condition
• -opsy: To view
• -osis: Abnormal condition
• -ous: Pertaining to
• -pathy: Disease, abnormality
• -penia: Lack of, deficiency
• -pexy: Surgical fixation, suspension
• -phagia: Eating
• -phobia: Intense fear of
• -plasia: Formation, development
• -plasm: Growth, substance, formation
• -plasty: Surgical reconstruction
• -plegia: Paralysis
• -pnea: Breathing
• -poiesis, -poietic: Production, manufacture of
• -ptosis: Drooping
• -rrhage: Excessive flow
• -rrhagia: Excessive flow
• -rrhaphy: Suturing in place, fixation
• -rrhea: Flow, discharge
• -rrhexis: Rupture or breaking away
• -sclerosis: Hardening
• -scope: Instrument used to visually examine
• -scopic: Visual examination
• -scopy: Process of visual examination
• -spasm: Sudden, involuntary
• -stasis: To stop
• -stomy: Artificial surgical opening
• -tome: Instrument used to cut
• -tomy: Process of incision, cutting into
• -tripsy: Crushing
• -trophic, -trophy: Growth, development

Examples of Common Suffixes in Medical Terms

• Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders (-phobia: intense fear of)
• Amniocentesis: Procedure to withdraw fluid from the amniotic sac (-centesis: surgical withdrawal of fluid)
• Anemia: Low levels of hemoglobin in the blood (-emia: pertaining to blood)
• Cardiomegaly: Enlargement of the heart (-megaly: enlargement)
• Colonoscopy: Procedure that visually examines the colon (-scopy: process of visual examination)
• Dyspnea: Difficulty breathing (-pnea: breathing)
• Hemiplegia: Paralysis of one side of the body (-plegia: paralysis)
• Mammography: Radiological process of examining the breast tissue (-graphy: process of recording)

Learn about the meaning of common suffixes in medical terms, including those that indicate procedures, conditions, and diseases. Understand how to build definitions from components.