List of Common Affixes and Meanings

a-, an-

not, without

ab-, abs-

away, from, separated

-able

capable of, susceptible of, fit for, tending to, given to

ac-, ad-, af-, ag-, al-, ap-, as-

to, toward

-acy

quality, state, office

-ad(e)

group or unit

-age

process, outcome of

al-, ar-

of the kind of, pertaining to , having the form of

ambi-, amphi-

both, around

-an

denotes places, membersip of

-ance, -ence

state or condition, action

-ant

characterized by or serving in the capacity of

ante-, anter-

before, prior, in front of

anti-

against, opposite of

ap-, apo-

away from, detached

-ary

pertaining to, conneced with

-ate

to make, cause, act

-ber

adjective suffix for months

cata-, cat-, cath-

downwards, against, contrary to

circum-

around

-cle

means by which action is performed

co-, com-, con-

with, together

contra-

against

de-

down from, reverse, remove, out of, derived from

di-, dif-, dis-

separation, apart, in different directions

dys-

bad, difficult

e-

to

ec-, ecto-, ex-

outside of, external, away from

-em, -en, -ent

in, into, within

epi-

over, above, around

-er, -ier

designating persons from the object of occupation or labor

-esis

condition, action, or process

-est

superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs

eu-, ev-

well, good

-eur

one who does

ex-

out, from, completely

extra-

outside, beyond

-fy, -ify

to make, render, or cause

hyper-

more, beyond normal, excessive

hypo-

less, under, below

-ian

of or relating to

-ic, -tic

having some characteristics of

-ice

indicating state or quality

-ician

occupation

-id

offspring or descendant of

-ile

expressing capability, susceptibility, liability

in-, im-, em-, en-

in, on, amongst, within

in-, im-

not

-ine

of or pertaining to

infra-

below, beneath

inter-

between, among

intra-

within

-ion

denoting action or condition

-ior

comparative

-ism

action, process, or practice (abstract nouns)

-ist

a person who practices or is concerned with something

-ite

denoting persons associated with a place, doctrine, system

-ity

expressing state or condition

-ium

chemicals or compounds, status of office

-ive

expressing tendency, disposition, function, connection

-ize

to render, to make, to convert into

-less

without

-logy, -ology

the study of

-ly

forms adverbs, like or every

-men, -ment

result, means of or product of an action

meta-, meth-

after, along with, transfer, changed

mis-

not

ob-, of-, op-

toward, against, face-to-face

-oid

resembling or like

on-

entity or component of

-ose, -ous

full of, given to, like

par-, para-

beside, near, faulty

per-

through, thoroughly

peri-

around, near, beside

post-

after, behind

pre-

before, in front of

pro-

indicating favor for, or advancing forward

re-, retro-

back, backwards, again

se-

aside, away

-sion, -tion

forms nouns, state of

-sis

action, process, state, condition (action nouns)

sub-

under, up from under

super-, sur-

over, above

syl-, sym-, syn-

united, together with, same

tra-, trans-

beyond, across, through

-tude

condition, state, or quality

ultra-

on the far side of, beyond

un-

not