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Medical Prefixes

30 prefixes explained with examples

Medical prefixes are word beginnings that tell you where, how much, or what kind — slow or fast, high or low, inside or outside. Learn the most common prefixes and you will instantly understand hundreds of medical terms without ever having seen them before.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Against or opposingantibiotic, antifungal, antiviral

B

Slowbradycardia, bradypnea, bradykinesia

Two or bothbilateral, bicuspid, bifurcation

C

Heartcardiology, cardiomyopathy, cardiovascular

Cellcytology, cytopathology, cytokine

D

Skindermatology, dermatitis, dermabrasion

E

Within or innerendoscopy, endocardium, endocrinology

Outside or externalexocrine, exophthalmos, exoskeleton

G

Stomach or digestive systemgastroenterology, gastritis, gastroparesis

H

Below, under, or abnormally lowhypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, hypotension

Above, over, or abnormally highhypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperthyroidism

Bloodhematology, hemoglobin, hemorrhage

Liverhepatology, hepatitis, hepatomegaly

I

Betweenintercostal, interphalangeal, intervertebral

Within or insideintravenous, intramuscular, intracranial

M

Large or longmacrocephaly, macrophage, macrobiotic

Small or microscopicmicroscopy, microbiology, microcephaly

Single or onemononucleosis, monoplegia, monocyte

N

Nerve or nervous systemneurology, neuropathy, neurosurgery

Kidneynephrology, nephritis, nephropathy

O

Boneosteoporosis, osteomyelitis, osteoarthritis

P

Lungpulmonology, pulmonary embolism, pulmonitis

After or behindpostoperative, postnatal, postpartum

Beforeprenatal, preoperative, prediabetes

Many or excessivepolyuria, polycystic, polyneuropathy

Around or surroundingpericardium, peritoneum, peripheral

S

Under or belowsubcutaneous, sublingual, subdural

T

Fast or rapidtachycardia, tachypnea, tachyarrhythmia

Across or throughtransdermal, transplant, transfusion

U

One or singleunilateral, unicellular, uniocular

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