Medical Terminology Prefix Definitions

Prefix Definitions in Medical Terminology

• a-: Indicates absence or negation, meaning "without" or "not".
• ab-: Signifies removal or separation, translating to "from" or "away from".
• ad-: Suggests direction or increase, meaning "toward" or "increase".
• alb-: Refers to color, specifically "white".
• albin/o-: Another term for "white", often used in medical contexts referring to pigmentation.
• ambi-: Denotes duality, meaning "both" or "both sides".
• an-: Functions similarly to 'a-', indicating negation or absence, meaning "without" or "not".
• ante-: Relates to position, meaning "before" or "in front of".
• anti-: Implies opposition, indicating "against".
• auto-: Refers to self, meaning "self" or "automatic".
• bi-: Indicates quantity, specifically meaning "two".
• bio-: Relates to life, indicating concepts involving "life" or living organisms.
• brady-: Describes speed, meaning "slow".
• chlor/o-: Refers to color, specifically "green".
• circum-: Pertains to position, meaning "around".
• cirrh/o-: Describes color, particularly "yellow" or "tawny".
• con-: Signifies connection, meaning "together" or "with".
• contra-: Indicates opposition, meaning "against".
• cyan/o-: Refers to color, specifically "blue".
• de-: Suggests reduction or reversal, meaning "down" or "from".
• dia-: Indicates movement through, meaning "through".
• dis-: Implies separation or negation, meaning "free of" or "to undo".
• dys-: Indicates difficulty or abnormality, meaning "bad", "difficult", "painful", or "disordered".
• ecto-: Refers to location, meaning "outside".
• endo-: Refers to orientation, meaning "within" or "inner".