What is a prefix? Do not be confused by this foreign word - it is just a prefix, with which, for example, in English and some other languages, you can change the meaning of a word. Our article discusses this topic in detail, gives examples of use, as well as a table and translation of the most commonly used prefixes, but not all - there are a great many of them in English. Having studied the topic "Prefix", the function of which, as we have already found out, is nothing more than word formation, you will replenish your knowledge and enrich your vocabulary. Some prefixes are of native English origin, for example a-, mis-, fore-, mid-, and some are Latin, here are some of them anti-, contra-, (by the way, these prefixes can also be found in Russian), dis-. See below for more information.
Prefixes in English
When we already figured out what the meaning ofprefixes in English (word formation), let's look at examples of their use:
take the verb to agree - to agree, applying the addition dis- to it at the beginning of the word, we get (to) disagree - disagree, express disagreement;or, for example, the adjective regular - ordinary, but with the prefix ir- we get irregular - unusual, atypical. You see, knowing what a prefix is and what it means, you can completely change it and make it a completely opposite word.
| Prefix name | Meaning | Examples with translation |
| pro- | against something, opposing something | pro-life (pro-life) |
| anti- | false, opposite, comparable to something | anti-hero (negative character, for example, in a movie); antichrist (antichrist) |
| contra - | opposite with anything | contraflow (oncoming flow of traffic), contraception (contraception) |
| counter- | also used in the sense of opposing something to something | counter-example (the opposite example, different from what the opponent offers), counterattack - counterattack (that is, repelling the opponent's attack) |
| a- | often used to mean "not" | amoral (immoral, that is, a person NOT observing accepted moral principles), apolitical(apolitical, that is, out of politics) |
| dis- | not accepting anything | distrust (distrust), disagree (disagreement); that's why it's important to know what a prefix is - it completely changes the meaning of the original word |
| in-/im- | also means "not" | illegal (illegal), impossible (impossible), incapable (incapable) |
| non-/un- | "not" | non-event (non-essential event); unfair (unfair) |
| extra- | used to mean "over" | extrasensory (extrasensory), extraordinary (extraordinary) |
| in- | "in something", "anywhere" | indoors (indoors, inside the house), ingathering - harvesting |
| im-/il-/ir | all three prefixes mean "between" | immirate (immigrate, that is, move between countries), import (import) |
| mid- | "medium" | midfield (center of the football field), midway (halfway) |
| out- | "from", "out" | outlook (outlook), outnumber (outnumbered) |
| under- | used to mean lack of something | underpay (underpayment), underwork (insufficient use, for example, of any resource) |
| un- | prefix expresses the opposite of some action or state | unknown (unknown), uncomfortable (uncomfortable), unpack (unpack things) |
| pre- | "to something" | prepay (prepayment), preview (preview) |
When learning English, you absolutely need to remember what a prefix is, what it means, and how to use it in practice. It is found quite often both in ordinary and everyday speech, in fiction and specialized literature, so at first keep the above table in front of your eyes, practice using it, and your speech, as well as your vocabulary, will be significantly enriched. This is a rather simple topic, it usually takes students only a couple of hours to master it successfully.
