Definition & Meaning of "prefix"

Prefix

(grammar) a letter or a set of letters that are added to the beginning of a word to alter its meaning and make a new word

What is a "prefix"?

A prefix is a type of affix that is added to the beginning of a base word or root to modify its meaning. Prefixes can change the meaning of the word in various ways, such as indicating negation, repetition, or degree. For example, the prefix "un-" can be added to the word "happy" to form "unhappy", which means not happy. Other examples include "redo", where the prefix "re-" indicates doing something again, and "preview", where "pre-" means before. Prefixes are important in word formation, allowing for the creation of new words and the expansion of vocabulary in many languages.

to prefix

VERB

attach a prefix to

prefix

fix

Example

The dictionary provided a list of prefixes and their meanings to help with word formation and understanding.

In the vocabulary lesson, they focused on how prefixes can alter the meanings of root words.

In morphological analysis, linguists examine the prefixes, suffixes, and roots of words.

English grammar includes prefixes and suffixes as types of affixes.

The metric system uses prefixes such as milli-, centi-, and kilo- to denote fractions and multiples of its base units.

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Definition & Meaning of "prefix"

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