Prefixes and Their Meanings

self-

• Meaning: by oneself

• Meaning: with others

• Meaning: in a group

• Meaning: alone together

re-

• Meaning: again, back

• Meaning: before

• Meaning: opposite

• Meaning: without

syn-, sym-

• Meaning: together

• Meaning: apart

• Meaning: separate

• Meaning: alone

hemi-, semi-

• Meaning: one-third

• Meaning: half

• Meaning: quarter

• Meaning: two-thirds

Prefix: en-, em-

• to make something happen

• to cause to

• to prevent something

• to change something

over-

• Meaning: too little, below

• Meaning: just right, average

• Meaning: too much, above

• Meaning: equal to, same as

hetero-

• same

• different

• similar

• identical

pseudo-

• true

• false

• genuine

• authentic

anti-

• Meaning: for, in favor of

• Meaning: against, opposite

• Meaning: before, in front of

• Meaning: after, behind

contra-, counter-

• Meaning: for, in favor of

• Meaning: against, opposite

• Meaning: beside, near

• Meaning: above, over