LATIN PREFIXES
Those prefixes which are underlined below sometimes merely emphasize the meaning of the
base and do not have semantic influence upon it.
Prefix Meaning Example(s)
ab-, abs-, a- away, from abnormal, abstain, avert
ad- (ab-, ac-, etc.) to, toward, near, very much admire, affect, allude
amb(i)- on both sides, around ambidextrous, ambivalent
ante- before, in front of antecedent, antepenult
circum- around, on all sides circumvent, circumference
co-, con-, com- together, with, very much coeval, compel, conform
contra-, counter- opposite, against contradict, counteract
de- down, away from, very much dejected, devious,
derelict
dis-, di-, dif- apart, not dismiss, dilate, different
e-, ex-, ef- from, out of, beyond, without; eliminate, extract
former, very much, bad(ly)
extra-, extro- outside, beyond extrovert, extraordinary
in- [en-] in, within, into, on, against, illustrate, immerse
completely
in- not (cf. English "un") illegal, immutable
infra- below, under infra-red
inter- between, among intervene, interdental
intra-, intro- within, inside introvert, intramural
juxta- near, next to juxtapose
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Prefix Meaning Example(s)
ne- not nefarious
non- not nonlegal, nonmoral
ob- toward, against, in the way occur, offensive
per- through, to the bad, thoroughly perspire, perfidious
post- after, behind, later postpone, postoperative
prae-, pre- before, in front of, forth previous, prevent
preter- beyond preternatural
pro- before, forth, forward; progress, pronoun
in behalf of, in favor of
quasi- almost, like quasi-circular
re-, red- back, again, away recede, renascent
retro- backward retroactive, retrograde
se-, sed- without, apart, to one side segregate, sedition
sin(e)- without sinecure, sincere
sub- under, below, inferior subject, support
subter- under subtercutaneous
super- [sur-] above, over, very much supercede, superrefined
supra- above supraspinal, surprise
trans-, tra-, tran- across, change transgress, transform
ultra- [outr-] beyond, excessively ultramarine, ultramodern,
outrageous
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LATIN SUFFIXES
These are the most important English suffixes derived from Latin. They are arranged by usage:
adjective-forming, noun-forming, verb-forming.
Suffix Meaning Example(s)
ADJECTIVE-FORMING SUFFIXES
"able to be"
-able able to be, able to, tending to capable
-ible able to be, able to, tending to flexible
-ile able to be, able to, tending to docile
"tending to"
-acious tending to, inclined to pugnacious
-id tending to, inclined to intrepid
-itious tending to, characterized by surreptitious
-ive tending to, inclined to instructive
-ory tending to, serving for prefatory
-ulous tending to, inclined to incredulous
-uous tending to, inclined to tenuous
"pertaining to"
-ain pertaining to mountain
-al, -ial, -eal pertaining to, like, belonging to, arboreal
having the character of
-an, -ean, -ian pertaining to, like, belonging to, Shakespearean
having the character of
-ane pertaining to, like, belonging to, urbane
having the character of
-ar pertaining to, like, belonging to, muscular
having the character of
-ary pertaining to, connected with, literary
having the character of
-ic pertaining to, like volcanic
-il(e) pertaining to, like, belonging to, puerile
having the character of
-ine pertaining to, like, of canine
-tic pertaining to, like rustic
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Suffix Meaning Example(s)
"-ing" (present participle)
-ant -ing mutant
-ent, -ient -ing redolent
"possessing" (past participle)
-ate possessing, being inanimate
-it(e) possessing, being tripartite
"making"
-ific making, causing scientific
"full of"
-(u)lent, -(o)lent full of, disposed to fraudulent
-ose, -iose full of verbose
-ous, -ious, -eous full of, having the character of, like bilious
NOUN-FORMING SUFFIXES
"quality of, state of" (abstract qualities)
-acity quality of being inclined to rapacity
-acy quality of being, quality of having legacy
-ance, -ancy quality/state of -ing, that which occupancy
-ence, -ency quality/state of -ing, that which audience
-(i)tude quality of, state of multitude
-ity, -ety, -ty quality of, state of sobriety
-(u)lence, -(o)lence state or quality of violence
-imony quality of, state of, that which alimony
-or (Brit. -our) state of tremor
-y quality of, state of, act of, result of custody
"that which must be"
-and(um), that which must be -ed agenda
-(i)end(um)
"place for"
-ary, -arium place for mortuary
-ory, -orium place for conservatory
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Suffix Meaning Example(s)
"office of"
-ate office of, holders of the office of potentate
"act of, result of" (concrete nouns)
-ion act of, state of, result of action
-men result of, means of, act of, state of regimen
-ment result of, means of, act of, state of regiment
-ure act of tenure
"one who" (agent)
-or one who does, that which does malefactor
-rix she who does aviatrix
"little" (diminutive)
-cle, -icle little auricle
-cule, -icule little molecule
-el little novel
-et, -ette little palette
-il, -ile little pupil
-le little scruple
-ole little aureole
-ule little globule
VERB-FORMING SUFFIXES
"to"
-at(e) to officiate
-ite to expedite
"to begin" (inchoative)
-esce to begin, become convalesce
"to make"
-ify, -efy to make mollify
