40 common medical starts (prefixes) and ends (suffixes) of words
- A-, an-: without, lack of
- -ation: a process
- Brady-: slow
- Dys-: painful or abnormal
- -ectomy: surgical removal
- Hemi-: half
- Hetero-: different
- Homo-: same
- -ismus: presence of a spasm or contraction
- -itis: inflammation
- -lysis: decomposition
- Macro-: large
- Melan/o-: dark in colour
- Micro-: small
- -ology: study of a certain field
- -osis: indicates the presence of an abnormality
- -otomy: to cut
- -pathy: disease or disease process
- -plasty: surgical repair
- Poly-: many
- Pseudo-: false or deceptive
- Retro-: behind or backward
- Cardi/o-: related to heart
- Derm/a/o, dermat/o-: related to skin
- Encephal/o-: related to brain
- Gastr/o: related to gastrointestinal tract
- Haemat/o-: related to blood
- Hepato-: related to lungs
- My/o-: related to muscle
- Nephr-: related to kidneys
- Oste/o-: related to bone
- Pulmon/o-: related to lungs
- Resp-: related to lungs
- Rhin/o-: related to nose
- -sclerosis: hard or hardenings
- -stasis: slowing or stopping the flow of a bodily fluid
- Tachy-: fast
- Therm/o-: indicates heat
- Thyr/o-: related to thyroid gland
- Trache/o-: related to trachea.
Some other medical prefixes and suffixes
- Andr/o-: male (e.g. androgen – male sex hormone)
- Anti-: against (e.g. anticholinergic drugs – drugs that counteract the effects of acetylcholine)
- Auto-: self (e.g. autocrine – a substance acting on the same cell that produces it)
- Bio-: life (e.g. biology – the study of living organisms)
- Chem/o-: chemistry (e.g. chemotherapy – treatment using chemical agents)
- Cerebro-: related to brain
- Contra-: against (e.g. contraception – prevention of pregnancy)
- Cyt/o-: cell (e.g. cytokine – a signalling molecule produced by cells)
- Dis-: separation or taking apart (e.g. dissection – cutting apart of tissue)
- Eu-: good or well (e.g. euvolaemic)
- Fibr/o-: fibre (e.g. fibrosis – excessive fibrous tissue formation)
- Gluco- or glyco-: glucose or sugar (e.g. glycogen – stored form of glucose)
- Gyn/o- or gynaec-: Female (e.g. gynaecology – study of female reproductive system)
- Hydr/o-: water (e.g. hydrocephalus – accumulation of fluid in the brain)
- Hyper-: more of (e.g. hypertension)
- Hypo-: less of (e.g. hypovolaemia)
- Idio-: self or one’s own (e.g. idiopathic – of unknown cause)
- Lyso- or lys-: Break down, destruction, or dissolving (e.g. lysosome – cellular organelle that breaks down waste).
- Mal-: bad or abnormal (e.g. malignant)
- Myc/o-: fungus (e.g. mycetoma – fungal infection)
- Necr/o-: death (e.g. necrosis – tissue death)
- Neo-: new (e.g. neonate – newborn)
- Oxy-: sharp, acute, or related to oxygen (e.g. oxytocin – hormone involved in labour and milk release)
- Pan- or pant/o-: all or everywhere (e.g. pancytopenia – deficiency of all blood cell types)
- Pharmaco-: drug or medicine (e.g. pharmacist – a professional who dispenses medications)
- Psych:- related to mind
- Re-: again or backward (e.g. rejuvenation – restoration of youthfulness)
- Somat/o-: body or bodily (e.g. somatic cell – any cell except reproductive cells).
Other resources
Medical prefixes and suffixes
40 common medical abbreviations and acronyms
30 common medical terms
20 common diseases named after people (eponyms)
Last Reviewed on 24 May 2024