60+ Greek & Latin Prefixes

Understanding the most common Greek and Latin prefixes will help you
recognize the meaning of a large number of English words

For examples and a list of the most common of these prefixes in alphabetical
order (plus a few tips on understanding their use), you might want to see List
of Prefixes.

The list on this page is arranged according to the meaning of the prefixes in
English, followed by the Latin Greek prefixes for each meaning. The prefixes
on the alphabetical list that aren’t included here (and others that are obvious,
like over- and under-) are English, except non- and counter-, which come to
English from French.

The list below also includes some Greek (and a few Latin) prefixes that were
not included on the first list because they are not used as commonly in
English as the others.

The illustration gives two examples of the way prefixes change the meaning of roots.
It uses 'mission', derived from Latin, and 'logical', originally from Greek.

Many Greek and Latin words are closely related. They may be cognates
(ambi-/amphi-, extra-/ exo-) or directly borrowed terms like macro-. (The Romans,
like the English, greatly expanded their vocabulary with terms and ideas from the
peoples they contacted or conquered.)
Latin prefixes are used more frequently than most Greek ones in common English
words, but both are important . Most medical and mathematical terminology comes
from Greek.

PREFIX MEANING LATIN PREFIX GREEK PREFIX

above, excess super-, ultra- hyper-
across, beyond,
trans- dia-
through
after post-
again, back re-
against contra-, (in-, ob-) anti-
all omni- pan
around circum- peri-
away or from ab- (or de-) apo-, ap-
bad, difficult, wrong mal- dys-
before ante-, pre- pro-
between, among inter- epi-
both ambi- amphi-
completely or very de-, ob-
down ob- (sometimes)
four quad- tetra-
good ben-, bene- eu-
half, partially semi- hemi-
in, into il-, im-, in-, ir- en-
in front of pro- pro-
inside intra- endo-
large (macro-, from Greek) macro-
many multi- poly-
not* de-, dis-, in-, ob- a-, an-
on epi-
one uni- mono-
out of ex-, e- ek-
outside extra-, extro- ecto-, exo-
over ob- (sometimes)
self ego- auto-, aut-,auth-
small micro-
three tri- tri-
through trans- dia-
to or toward ad-, a-, ac-, as- epi-
two bi- di-
under, insufficient sub- hypo-
with co-. com-, con- sym-, syn-
within, inside intra- endo-
without dis- (sometimes) a-, an-