a- (an- before vowel or h)
not, without, lacking, deficient
anti- (ant- often before a vowel or h; hyphenated before i)
against, opposed to, preventing, relieving
di- (rarely dis-)
two, twice, double
dys-
difficult, painful, defective, abnormal
ec- (ex- before a vowel)
out of, away from
ecto- (ect- often before a vowel)
outside of
en- (em- before b, m, and p)
in, into, within
endo-, ento- (end-, ent- before a vowel)
within
epi- (ep- before a vowel or h)
upon, over, above
exo-
outside, from the outside, toward the outside
hemi-
half, partial; (often) one side of the body
hyper-
over, above, excessive, beyond normal
hypo- (hyp- before a vowel or h)
under, deficient, below normal
mono- (mon- before a vowel or h)
one, single
peri-
around, surrounding
syn- (sym- before b, p, and m; the n assimilates or is dropped before s)
together, with, joined
-a
forms abstract nounsstate, condition
-ac (rare)
forms adjectivespertaining to, located in
-iac (rare)
forms nounsperson afflicted with
-iasis
forms abstract nounsdisease, abnormal condition, abnormal presence of: often used with the name of a parasitic organism to indicate infestation of the body by that organism. When used with lith-: formation and/or presence of calculi in the body
-in, -ine
form names of substances
-ist
forms nounsa person interested in
-itic
forms adjectivespertaining to, pertaining to inflammationwords ending in -itic can be used as both adjectives and nouns and, as nouns, often indicate a drug or agent
-itis
forms nouns indicating an inflamed conditioninflammation
-itides
the plural form for words ending in -itis
-ium (rarely -eum)
forms nounsmembrane, connective tissue-ium names a region of the body
-ma
forms nouns(often) abnormal or diseased condition;the combining form for nouns ending in -ma is -mat-. sometimes the final -a drops off the noun
-osis
forms nounsabnormal or diseased condition
-otic
forms adjectives from nouns ending in -osis pertaining to
-sia
forms abstract nounsstate, condition
-sis
forms abstract nounsstate, condition
-tic
forms adjectives from nouns ending in -sispertaining towords ending in -tic can be used as both adjectives and nouns and, as nouns, often indicate a drug or agent words ending in -itic or -tic can refer to a person suffering from a certain disability or condition
-logy
study, science, the study or science of
-logist
one who specializes in a certain study or science
-malacia
the softening (of tissues) of
-sclerosis
the hardening (of tissues) of
-stenosis
the narrowing (of a part of the body)
-toxic
poisonous (to an organ)
-toxin
a substance poisonous to (a part of the body)
amphi-, ampho-
on both sides, around, both
ana-
up, back, against
apo-
away from
cata- (cat- before a vowel or h)
downward, disordered
dia- (di- before a vowel)
through, across, apart
eso-
within, inner, inward
eu-
good, normal, healthy
heter-, hetero-
different, other, relationship to another
homo-, homeo-
same, likeness
meta- (met- before a vowel or h)
change, transformation, after, behind
para- (often par- before a vowel)
alongside, around, abnormal, beyond
pros-, prosth-
in place of
-ase
forms names of enzymes
-asia, -asis
form abstract nouns: state, condition
-ema
forms abstract nouns: state, condition; the combining form of nouns ending in -ema is-emat-
-esis
forms abstract nouns; state, condition, procedure
-etic
forms adjectives often from nouns ending in -esis, pertaining to
-ics, -tics
form nouns indicating a particular science or study/science or study of
-ism
forms abstract nounsstate, condition, quality
-ismus
forms abstract nounsstate, condition; muscular spasm
-oid (rarely) -ode, -id
form both nouns and adjectives indicating a particular shape, form, or resemblance
-oma
forms abstract nounsusually tumoroccasionally diseasethe combining form of nouns ending in -oma is-omat-the plural often is -omata
-us
a Latin noun-forming endingcondition, person (sometimes a malformed fetus)
-ize
Verb-Forming Suffixa commonly used Greek-derived suffix that means "to make, become, cause to be, subject to, engage in
SUFFIXES FORMING NAMES OF CHEMCIAL SUBSTANCES:
-ate-ide-ite-one
coli-
refers to colon bacillus
cyst(i)-
refers to the urinary bladder
cholecyst-
refers to the gallbladder
-ectasia, -ectasis
dilation, enlargement
-ectomy
surgical excision; removal of all (total excision) or part (partial excision) of an organ
-gen
substance that produces (something)
-genesis
formation, origin
-genic
causing, producing, caused
-genous
by, produced by or in
-gram
a record of the activity of an organ (often an x-ray)
-graph
an instrument for recording the activity of an organ
-graphy
(1) the recording of the activity of an organ (usually by x-ray examination)(2) a descriptive treatise (on a subject)
-lysis
dissolution, reduction, decomposition, disintegration
-lytic
pertaining to dissolution or decomposition, disintegration (forms adjectives from words ending in -lysis)
-pathy
disease
-ptosis
dropping, sagging, prolapse (of an organ or part)
-rrhagia
profuse discharge, hemorrhage
-rrhea
profuse discharge, excessive secretion
-rrhexis
bursting (of tissues), rupture
-scope
an instrument for examining
-scopy
examination
-tome
a surgical instrument for cutting
-tomy
surgical incision
-able
forms adjectives, capable of (being), able to
-ation
forms nouns indicating an action or process, the act of (being), the result of (being), something that is
-ce
forms nouns, the act of (being), the state of (being)
-cy
forms nouns, the act of (being), the state of (being)
-ible
forms adjectives, capable of (being)
-ion
forms nouns, the act of
-ment
forms nouns, agent or instrument
-or
forms nouns, agent or instrument
-orium
forms nouns, place for something
-ory
(1) forms adjectives; pertaining to(2) forms nouns; place for something
-ure, -ura
form nouns, result of an action
-e
forms verbs from Latin infinitives
ab- (a- rarely before certain consonants; abs- before c and t)
away from
ad- (ac- before c; af- before f; ag- before g; al- before l; an- before n; ap- before p; as- before s; a- before sp; at- before t)
to, toward
ambi-
both
ante-
before, forward
bi (bin-, bis-)
two, twice, double, both
circum-
around
con- (co- before h; col- before l; com- before e, m, and p; cor- before r)
together, with; thoroughly, very
contra-
against, opposite
de-
down, away from, absent
dis- (di- before g, v, and usually before l; dif- before f)
apart, away
ex- (e- before certain consonants; ef- before f)
out of, away from
extra- (rarely extro-)
on the outside, beyond
in-
(1) in, into (il- before l; im- before b, m, and p; ir- before r) (2) not (3) very, thoroughly
infra-
beneath, below
inter-
between
intra- (rarely intro-)
within
non-
not
mult- (often multi-)
many, much, affecting many parts
ob- (oc- before c; op- before p)
against, toward; very, thoroughly
per- (pel- before l)
through; very, thoroughly
post-
after, following, behind
pre-
before, in front of
pro-
forward, in front
re-
back, again
retro-
backward, in back, behind
se-
apart, away from
semi-
half
sub- (suf- before f; sup- before p)
under
super- (often supra-)
over, above; excess
trans-
across, through
ultra-
beyond, excess
-al
forms adjectives, pertaining to
-an
forms adjectives, pertaining to, located in
-ar
forms adjectives, pertaining to, located in
-arium
forms nouns, denotes a place for something
-ary
forms nouns, denotes a place for something
-ary
forms adjectives, pertaining to
-ate
forms adjectives, having the form of, possessing
-ia
forms abstract nouns
-ian
forms nouns, indicates an expert in a certain field
-ic
forms adjectives, pertaining to
-id
forms adjectives, pertaining to
-ile
forms adjectives, pertaining to, capable of
-ine
forms adjectives, pertaining to, located in
-ive
forms adjectives, pertaining to
-lent
forms adjectives, full of
-ous
forms adjectives , full of
-ty
forms abstract nouns
-y
forms abstract nouns