Prefixes

Question 1

a, an

Answer 1

not, without

Examples:
agnostic (n): one who believes that it cannot be known whether or not God exists; (adj) claiming no knowledge

amoral (adj): not related to morality; lacking regard for morality

anomaly (n): an irregularity

anonymous (adj): lacking a named author; having an unknown author

apathy (n): lack of feeling, interest, or emotional investment

atheist (n): one who does not believe in God

atypical (adj): not typical

Question 2

ab

Answer 2

away from, apart from, down

Examples:
abduct (v): to take away by force

abhor (v): to hate; to detest

abject (adj): cast down; degraded

abnormal (adj): not normal; not conforming to a standard

abolish (v): to do away with, ban, or make void

abstract (v): to draw or pull away, remove; (adj) theoretical; related to ideas rather than to specific instances or objects

Question 3

ad

Answer 3

toward, near (Sometimes the “d” is dropped and the first letter to which “a” is prefixed is doubled.)

Examples:
adapt (v): to adjust in response to new circumstances

addict (v): to cause (someone) to become dependent on a substance or activity; (n) a person who is dependent on a substance or activity

address (n): a speech; (v) to give a speech or direct a statement to

adhere (v): to stick fast; to cleave; to cling

adjacent (adj) next to, close to, or connected to

adjoin (v): to be next to, close to, or connected to

admire (v): to look up to; to look at with approval or pleasure

advocate (v): to plead for; to argue in favor of

attract (v): to draw by physical force or by an appeal to emotions or senses

Question 4

ambi, amphi

Answer 4

both, on both sides

Examples:
ambidextrous (adj): able to use both hands equally well

ambiguous (adj): open to various interpretations

amphibian (n): an animal that lives part of its life in water and part of its life on land; a person with a twofold nature; (adj) having the traits of an amphibian

Question 5

ant, ante

Answer 5

before

Examples:
antebellum (adj): before the war (especially the American Civil War)

antecedent (adj): existing, being, or going before

antedate (v): to precede in time

anterior (adj): placed before

Question 6

anti

Answer 6

against

Examples:
antidote (n): a remedy intended to counteract a poison

antifreeze (n): a chemical that lowers the freezing point of a liquid such as water

antiseptic (adj): free from germs; particularly clean or neat

antithetical (adj): opposed to, contrary to

Question 7

bi, bin

Answer 7

two

Examples:
biennial (adj): happening every two years

bilateral (adj): related to both sides

bilingual (adj): able to speak one’s native language and another with equal facility

binocular (adj): involving two eyes

bipartisan (adj): representing two parties

combination (n): the joining of two or more things into a whole

Question 8

cent

Answer 8

hundred

Examples:
centimeter (n): one hundredth of a meter

centipede (n): a creature with many legs

century (n): one hundred years

percent (adj): out of every hundred

Question 9

circu, circum

Answer 9

around

Examples:
circuit (n): a path or journey around an area; a path traveled by electrical current

circuitous (adj): roundabout, indirect

circumference (n): the outer boundary of a circular area

circumstances (n): the state of affairs that exist around a particular time or person; the factors that influence a person or situation

Question 10

co, col, com, con

Answer 10

together, completely

Examples:
coerce (v): to force (another to do an action) by using fear, authority, or violence

collaborate (v): to work with another; to cooperate

collide (v): (used of two or more objects or persons) to crash together; to make contact forcefully or violently

commensurate (adj): suitable in measure, proportionate

compatible (adj): able to exist together with someone or something else; capable of harmonious coexistence

conciliate (v): to placate; to win over

connect (v): to bind or fasten together

Question 11

contra, contro, counter

Answer 11

against

Examples:
contradict (v): to oppose, to speak against

contrary (adj): opposed to; opposite

controversy (n): a prolonged debate or disagreement about a topic

counterfeit (adj): fake; (n) a false imitation

encounter (v): a meeting, often with an opponent

Question 12

de

Answer 12

away, off, down, reversal

Examples:
decipher (v): to interpret; to decode; to discern a hidden meaning

defame (v): to slander; to publicly speak ill of

delineate (v): to draw the outlines of; to sketch; to describe

descend (v): to move from a higher to a lower place

Question 13

deca

Answer 13

ten

Examples:
decade (n): ten years

decathlon (n): a sports competition composed of ten events

Question 14

di, dia

Answer 14

in two, across, through

Examples:
diagnose (v): to determine the nature of (a sickness or problem) b examining symptoms

dialogue (n): conversation between two or more persons

diameter (n): a line going through a circle, dividing it in two

dichotomy (n): division into two parts, kinds, etc.

Question 15

di, dis

Answer 15

away from, reversal, not

Examples:
diffuse (v); to pour out and spread, as in a fluid; (adj) spread out

dilate (v): to widen; to expand

disperse (v): to spread over a wide area; to drive away in various directions

disseminate (v): to scatter or spread widely; to promulgate

dissuade (v): to persuade (someone) against (a course of action); to deter; to advise against

Question 16

dys

Answer 16

faulty, abnormal

Examples:
dysfunctional (adj): poorly functioning

dyslexia (n): an impairment of reading ability due to a neurological problem

Question 17

e, ex

Answer 17

out of, from, former

Examples:
evade (v): to escape from; to avoid

exclude (v): to shut out; to leave out

exonerate (v): to free or declare free from blame

expire (v): to breathe one’s last; to die; to reach the end of viability

Question 18

em, en

Answer 18

inside, into

Examples:
embrace (v): to clasp in the arms; to include or contain

enclose (v): to close in on all sides

Question 19

extra

Answer 19

outside, beyond

Examples:
extract (v): to take out; to obtain against a person’s will

extradite (v): to send (a person accused of a crime) to another state or nation for trial or punishment

extraordinary (adj): beyond the ordinary; unusual

extrasensory (adj): outside the senses; coming from or pertaining to knowledge that cannot be gained through normal sense perception

Question 20

fore

Answer 20

before

Examples:
foreshadow (v): to warn of or indicate (a future event)

foresight (n): the act of foreseeing; care for the future; prudence

forestall (v): to prevent by advance action

Question 21

hemi

Answer 21

half

Examples:
hemisphere (n): half a sphere; half of the Earth

hemiplegia (n): paralysis of the arm, leg, and trunk on one side of the body

Question 22

hetero

Answer 22

different, other

Examples:
heterogeneous (adj): make up of different kinds

heterosexual (adj): pertaining to different sexes; having a sexual orientation toward members of the opposite sex

Question 23

homeo, homo

Answer 23

same, similar

Examples:
homogeneous (adj): having a uniform nature or substance

homonym (n): one of two or more words spelled and pronounced alike but different in meaning

homosexual (adj): pertaining to the same sex; having a sexual orientation toward members of the same sex

Question 24

hyper

Answer 24

over, above, more than, excessive

Examples:
hyperactive (adj): excessively active

hyperbole (n): extreme exaggeration used to create an effect

Question 25

hypo

Answer 25

under, beneath, less than

Examples:
hypochondriac (n): one who imagines physical ailments; one who is overly preoccupied with physical health

hypocritical (adj): pretending to have virtues or qualities one does not have

hypothesis (n): assumption subject to proof

Question 26

in, im

Answer 26

not, without

Examples:
immoral (adj): not moral

impartial (adj): unbiased; fair

inactive (adj): not active

indolence (adj): a tendency to avoid work or exertion: laziness

innocuous (adj): harmless, inoffensive

Question 27

in, im

Answer 27

inside, into

Examples:
implicit (adj): not stated; inherent

incarnate (adj): having a body or physical form

indigenous (adj): native to a place

influx (n): the pouring or flowing of one thing into another

intrinsic (adj): natural; innate

Question 28

inter

Answer 28

between, among

Examples:
interim (n): time period between one even and another; (adj) not permanent

interloper (n): one who intrudes in the domain of others

intermittent (adj): happening on and off; not constant

intersperse (v): to scatter; to put things among other things

interstate (adj): involving two or more states

Question 29

intra

Answer 29

inside, within

Examples:
intramural (adj): within a school; inside a city

intrastate (adj): within a state

intravenous (adj): inside the veins

Question 30

macro

Answer 30

great, large

Examples:
macroscopic (adj): large enough to be seen without magnification

macroeconomics (n): study of the economy on a large scale

Question 31

mal, male

Answer 31

bad, evil, wrong

Examples:
maladroit (adj): clumsy, tactless

malady (n): an illness

malediction (n): a curse

malfunction (n): the act of not working correctly; (v) to work incorrectly; to break

malicious (adj): intended to hurt someone

malign (v): to tell lies with the intent of hurting someone’s reputation; to slander

Question 32

med, medi

Answer 32

middle

Examples:
immediate (adj): nearest; having nothing in between

intermediate (adj): between the beginning and end

mediate (v): to serve as a go-between; to try to settle an argument

medieval (adj): related to the Middle Ages

mediocre (adj): of only so-so quality

medium (n): size between small and large; a substance or agency that things travel through (as, for example, light travels through air, and news is conveyed by television and newspapers)

Question 33

mega, megalo

Answer 33

very large

Examples:
megalith (n): a very big stone

megalomaniac (n): a mental condition involving delusions of greatness; an obsession with achieving great things

megalopolis (n): a very large city

megaphone (n): a device for magnifying the sound of one’s voice

megaton (n): explosive power equal to 1 million tons of dynamite

Question 34

micro

Answer 34

very small

Examples:
microbe (n): a very small organism

microcosm (n): a small system that reflects a larger whole

microorganism (n): a very small organism

microscope (n): a device that magnifies very small things for viewing

Question 35

min, mini

Answer 35

small

Examples:
diminish (v): to lessen

diminution (n): reduction; the act of reducing

miniature (n) a copy or model that represents something in greatly reduced size

minute (n): one-sixtieth of an hour

minute (adj): very small

minutiae (n): small or trivial details

Question 36

mis

Answer 36

bad, wrong, hateful

Examples:
misadventure (n): bad luck; an unlucky accident

misanthrope (n): one who hates people or humanity

misapply (v): to use something incorrectly

mischance (n): bad luck; an unlucky accident

mischief (n): naughty or annoying behavior

misconstrue (v): to understand something incorrectly

misfit (n): somebody or something that doesn’t fit in

Question 37

mon, mono

Answer 37

one, single

Examples:
monarchy (n): rule by a single person

monk (n): a man in a religious order living apart from society

monogram (n): a design made up of letters combined into one shape

monograph (n): a scholarly paper on one topic

monologue (n): a speech or other dramatic composition recited by one person

monomania (n): an obsession with a single subject

monotonous (adj): boring; spoken using only one tone

Question 38

mult

Answer 38

many

Examples:
multiple (adj): many, having many parts; a number containing some quantity of a smaller number without remainder

multiplex (adj): having more than one part; (n) a building with many separate units

multiply (v): to increase; to become many

multitudinous (adj): very many; containing very many; having very many forms

Question 39

non

Answer 39

not

Examples:
nonconformist (n): one who does not conform to a church or other societal institution

nonentity (n): something that doesn’t exist; something that is unimportant

nonpartisan (adj): not affiliated with a political party

Question 40

nov, neo, nou

Answer 40

new

Examples:
innovate (v): to develop a new way of doing something

neologism (n): a newly invented word or phrase

neophyte (n): a beginner; a new convert; a new worker

novice (n): a person new to any field or activity

renovate (v): to repair something so it is like new or does not show as much wear and tear

Question 41

oct

Answer 41

eight

Examples:
octagon (n): a shape with eight sides

octogenarian (n): a person whose age is 80 - 89

Question 42

omni

Answer 42

all

Examples:
omnibus (n): an anthology of the works of one author or of writings on related subjects

omnipotent (adj): all powerful

omnipresent (adj): being everywhere at one time

omniscient (adj): knowing everything

Question 43

pan, pant

Answer 43

all, everyone

Examples:
pandemic (adj): widespread

panoply (n): an impressive or vast group or display

panorama (n): a view or scene that extends a long way

pantheon (n): the group made up of all the gods of a particular culture; a building that honors dead heroes

Question 44

para

Answer 44

next to, beside

Examples:
parable (n): a story that teaches a lesson through allegory

paragon (n): an example of excellence to be emulated

parallel (adj): being side by side and the same distance apart at all points; having similar paths or structures

paranoid (adj): suffering from a baseless distrust of others

parasite (n): a living thing that draws its nutrients from another on which it lives; a person who lives off another without providing anything in return

parody (v): to satirize through imitation; (n) an imitative satire

Question 45

pent

Answer 45

five

Examples:
pentagon (n): a five-sided shape

pentathlon (n): a sports competition with five events

Question 46

peri

Answer 46

around

Examples:
perimeter (n): the distance around a shape; a border around a shape

peripatetic (adj): not stationary, moving about

periscope (n): an optical instrument used to view objects that otherwise couldn’t be seen

Question 47

poly

Answer 47

many

Examples:
polyandry (n): the practice of having multiple husbands

polygamy (n): the practice of having multiple spouses, often wives

polyglot (n): someone who speaks many languages

polygon (n): a figure with many sides

polytheism (n): belief in many gods

Question 48

post

Answer 48

behind, after

Examples:
post facto (adv): after the fact

posterior (adj): situated at the rear

posthumous (adj): after death

Question 49

pre

Answer 49

before, in front

Examples:
precedent (n): an act that serves as an example for subsequent situations

precept (n): a rule to govern behavior

precocious (adj): unusually advanced at a young age

premonition (n): a feeling or intuition that something is going to happen before it does

Question 50

pro

Answer 50

in front, before, much, for

Examples:
proceed (v): to go forward

profuse (adj): occurring in large amounts; abounding; overly giving

prolific (adj): highly fruitful

proselytize (v): to convert, recruit, or attempt to convert

provident (adj): possessing foresight

Question 51

prot, proto

Answer 51

first

Examples:
protagonist (n): the main character in a play or story

protocol (n): diplomatic etiquette; a system of proper conduct; the original record of a treaty or other negotiation

prototype (n): the first version of an invention, on which later models are based

Question 52

pseud, pseudo

Answer 52

false

Examples:
pseudonym (n): a false name; a pen name

pseudopod (n): part of a single-celled organism that can be stuck out (like a foot) and used to move around

pseudoscience (n): false science; something believed to be based on the scientific method but actually is not

Question 53

quad, quar, quat

Answer 53

four

Examples:
quadrant (n): a quarter of a circle; a 90-degree arc

quadruple (adj): four times as many

quadruplets (n): four children born in one birth

quart (n): one-fourth of a gallon

Question 54

quin, quint

Answer 54

five

Examples:
quintile (n): one-fifth

quintuple (adj): five times as many

Question 55

re

Answer 55

back, again

Examples:
recline (v): to lean back; to lie down

regain (v) to gain again; to take back

remain (v): to stay behind; to be left; to continue to be

reorganize (v): to organize again

request (v): to ask (originally: to seek again)

Question 56

retro

Answer 56

backward

Examples:
retroactive (adj): extending to things that happened in the past

retrofit (v): to instill newer parts into an older device or structure

retrograde (adj): moving backward; appearing to move backward

retrospective (adj): looking back at the past; (n) a review of past events

Question 57

se

Answer 57

apart, away

Examples:
secede (v): to withdraw formally from an association

sedition (n): provocation of rebellion against a government

seduce (v): to lead astray

segregate (v): to separate a larger group into two or more groups; to set an individual or subgroup apart from the larger group

select (v): to choose one thing over another

separate (v): to keep apart; to divide

sequester (v): to isolate or set apart from a larger group

Question 58

semi

Answer 58

half

Examples:
semicircle (n): half a circle

semiconscious (adj): only partly conscious; half awake

Question 59

sept

Answer 59

seven

Examples:
septuplet (n): one of seven children born together

septennial (adj): occurring every seven years

Question 60

sex, hex

Answer 60

six

Examples:
sextet (n): a band with six musicians

hexagon (n): a shape with six sides

Question 61

sub, sup

Answer 61

below, under

Examples:
subliminal (adj): existing beneath consciousness

submissive (adj): obedient; not dominant

subsidiary (adj): supplemental; secondary

subterfuge (n): a trick or stratagem used to deceive, hide something, or avoid punishment

subtle (adj): not direct; difficult to understand

suppose (v): to put down as a hypothesis; to use as the underlying basis of an argument; to assume

Question 62

super, sur

Answer 62

over, above

Examples:
superfluous (adj): extra; more than necessary

superlative (n): the highest or best of its kind

supersede (v): to replace in power or preference by another

surmount (v): to overcome an obstacle or prevail over a problem

surpass (v): to exceed in amount or degree

surveillance (n): a watch kept over someone or something

Question 63

sym, syn

Answer 63

the same, together

Examples:
symbiosis (n): the act of living together in a mutually beneficial relationship

symmetry (n): balanced proportions; having opposite parts that mirror one another

sympathy (n): the attempt to understand the feelings of others

symposium (n): a meeting at which ideas are discussed; originally: a party at which people drink together

synonym (n): a word that means the same thing as another

synthesis (n): the act of combining things to create a new whole

Question 64

trans

Answer 64

across, beyond

Examples:
transaction (n): an exchange, especially a business deal involving buying and selling

transcendent (adj): going beyond ordinary limits

transgress (v): to disobey or violate a law; to sin

transition (n): a change from one way of being to another

transparent (adj): easy to see through; easy to perceive

Question 65

un

Answer 65

not

Examples:
unseen (adj): not seen

unusual (adj): not usual; exceptional; strange

Question 66

uni, un

Answer 66

one

Examples:
reunion (n): a meeting that brings people back together

unanimous (adj): in complete agreement

unicorn (n): a mythical animal with a single horn

uniform (adj): of one kind; consistent

universe (n): all things considered as one whole