prefix
2 synonyms and 1 antonym for prefix, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A group of letters added to the front of a word to change its meaning, such as un- in unhappy or re- in rewrite.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A group of letters added to the front of a word to change its meaning, such as un- in unhappy or re- in rewrite.
“Adding the prefix "un-" turns "kind" into "unkind".”
Opposites
How to use prefix
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
prefix and suffix
common prefixes
country prefix
prefix the filename
Neutral; standard in grammar teaching, forms and computing.
Etymology
From Latin praefigere "to fix in front", from prae- "before" + figere "to fasten".
Full origin of prefix →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a prefix and a suffix?
A prefix goes at the front of a word and a suffix goes at the end. "Un-" in "unhelpful" is a prefix; "-ful" is a suffix. Prefixes usually change meaning, while suffixes often change the word's part of speech as well.
What are the most common prefixes in English?
Un-, re-, in-/im-, dis-, en-, non-, over-, mis-, sub-, pre- and de- account for most prefixed words in everyday English. Learning what a handful of them mean lets you work out thousands of unfamiliar words.
