With hundreds of medical terms to memorize, aspiring health professionals need to understand common medical prefixes and postfixes. This info graphic explores common medical prefixes and postfixes and their meaning.
[amazonjs asin=”B007OF55Y0″ locale=”US” title=”Original Medicine Multi-Probiotic (120 CAPS)”]
If you are just getting started learning medical terminology, prefixes and suffixes are a good launching point. Yes, there are lots more prefixes for medical terminology than you see listed here. But, to get you started, here is a quick look at some of the most common prefixes that play a huge role in both common, everyday English and medical terminology.
| Prefix | What It Means |
|---|---|
| A-, an- | Lack of, without, not |
| Ante- | Before, in front of, or forward |
| Anti- | Opposing or against |
| Bi- | Double, two, twice, both |
| Co-, con-, com- | Together or with |
| De- | Down, or from |
| Di- | Twice or two |
| Extra-, extro- | Beyond, outside of, or outward |
| Hemi-, semi- | Half, half of |
| Hyper- | Above, excessive, beyond |
| Hyp-, hypo- | Below, beneath, deficient |
| Infra- | Below or beneath |
| Inter- | Between |
| Intra- | Within, inside |
| Intro- | Into, or within |
| Macro- | Large |
| Micro-, micr- | Tiny, small |
| Post- | After, or following, behind |
| Pre-, pro- | In front of, before, preceding |
| Retro- | Behind, backward |
| Semi- | Half |
| Trans- | Through or across |
| Tri- | Three |
| Ultra- | Excessive, beyond |
The suffix, always at the end of a word, usually indicates a procedure, a condition, or a disease. Whereas the prefix gives you a clue into what to expect in a word’s meaning, the suffix pulls no punches and tells you what is happening with a specific body part or system. And, usually, it either entails what is wrong medically or indicates the procedure used to diagnose or fix it.
| Suffix | What It Means |
|---|---|
| -ac, -ic, -al, -ous, -tic | Related to, or pertaining to |
| -ate, -ize | Subject to, use |
| -ent, -er, -ist | Person, agent |
| -genic | Produced by |
| -gram | A written record |
| -graph | Instrument used to record |
| -graphy | Process of recording |
| -ism | Condition or theory |
| -itis | Inflammation |
| -ologist | One who studies, specialist |
| -ology | Study of, process of study |
| -oma | Tumor |
| -pathy | Disease, disease process |
| -phobia | Morbid fear of or intolerance |
| -scope | Instrument used to visually examine |
| -scopy | Process of visual examination |
[amazonjs asin=”B01I23H9G4″ locale=”US” title=”5 Pc A.H.C Hydra Soother Mask Vital Complex Medica Enriched System Premium Quality”]
