Word Study #9

The prefix ab- means "away, from, or off." Absent, for example, means "________ or not present." Absolve means "to declare free from blame or guilt."

• away

• not away

The word that means "to cast off" is _______.

• abdicate

• abstract

• abscess

The word that means "breaking off suddenly" is ___________.

• abrupt

• absorb

• abstain

The word that means "to do away with something" is ____________.

• absentee

• abolish

• abroad

From the examples we have just studied, we can tell that the prefix __________ means "away, from, or off."

• mis-

• ab-

• com-

The prefix de- means "down, away from, off, or the opposite of." Demolish for example, means "to pull down or destroy." Dethrone means "to _____ the throne." Decamp means "to go away from or leave camp."

• force down from

• put on

The word that means "to go down" is ____.

• descend

• deflect

• detach

The word that means "to spread or distribute authority" is ___________.

• decentralize

• describe

• define

The word that means "to go ashore from a vessel" is __________.

• debark

• determine

• depend

From the examples we have just studied, we can tell that the prefix _______ means "down, away from, off, or the opposite of."

• un-

• de-

• mal-