10 Useful Prefixes
I am in focus now look at me Mom I’m in
focus all right so we’re recording hi
everybody my name is Alicia welcome back
to top words today we’re going to talk
about ten useful prefixes a prefix by
the way is like a small word a few
letters that we attach to the beginning
of a word to change the meaning of that
word
let’s go read the first prefix is re re
re re means again so we see the word re
in like redo or replay or reimagine or
recreate for example so it means to do
the base word again so whatever you see
re in front of or not everything but if
you see re before a base word like that
it can mean to do that thing again so in
a sentence I have to redo my homework
ante the next prefix is auntie auntie or
you might hear anti as well anti or anti
both are fine but it means against or in
opposition to or like kind of the
opposite of something so against against
anti so we see this in like antifreeze
or anti-social or anti-inflammatory or
antibiotics so they all mean against
something so like the word antifreeze
for example means like against freezing
so it’s a it’s antifreeze is a product
that prevents a liquid from freezing for
example an antibiotic is a medicine that
we take to kill like bad microorganisms
in our body germs in other words so we
see bio in that word so relating to like
biology antisocial refers to someone who
does not like social situations they are
against social situations and
anti-inflammatory another type of
medicine is against inflammation so
inflammation can mean like swelling or
like turning you red for example so anti
means against something we see anti
before words which mean like opposing or
against that thing in a sentence my
boss is anti overtime dis so the next
prefix is dis dis so dis essentially
this means not so we see this in words
like disrespect or disapprove or
disconnect or like disagree for example
so these words all mean not plus the
base words so like disagree for example
means to not agree or disconnect means
to not connect so something is not
connected to the other thing disrespect
means to not respect something for
example so this means not plus that base
word in a sentence a good editor should
be disinterested X the next prefix is X
X X means former former so something
that was once true is not true anymore
we see this very commonly in
relationships so for example my
ex-husband ex-wife ex-girlfriend
ex-boyfriend ex boss so all of these me
my former something my former boyfriend
my former girlfriend my former boss my
former roommate for example in a
sentence the ex CEO was in the news this
week mid the next prefix is mid mid so
mid means like in the middle of ordering
something so we can see this in a word
like midnight or midsummer for example
or mid-morning so meaning in the middle
of or roughly in the middle of something
during that time period mid night means
in the middle of the night or mid
morning is like in the middle of the
morning so all of these refer to mid to
something we can also use it for like an
action like mid meal for example or she
was a mid presentation when the phone
rang for example so mid means in the
middle of something in a sentence I was
mid breakfast when I heard the news
ill the next one is ill ill so ill means
again not or it’s like a negative prefix
it means the base word but not that base
word so we see this in words like
illogical or illegible
or illegal for example so these all mean
not plus the base word so illogical
means not logical illegible illegible
means unable to read legible means
readable eligible means cannot read that
thing unable to read that illegal means
not legal in other words so an action
that is against the law so ill means not
in a sentence highly illogical captain
that’s a Star Trek reference in the next
prefix is in in I am it also means not
it means not words that fit this pattern
for example could be impossible or
impeccable or improbable or imperfect
for example so again it means not so
imperfect means not perfect
impossible means not possible so it
means not it means not in a sentence
this is impossible
in the next prefix is in in so again in
also means not it’s a negative prefix
that we use there are a lot of words
that start with this in meaning not so
like inconsiderate incapable
inconceivable inappropriate so they all
mean not plus the base word for example
like the word in appropriate means not
appropriate so behavior that is not
appropriate in a certain situation or
incapable means not capable someone
cannot do something they’re expected to
do so in means not plus our basic
meaning the opposite then of that
meaning in a sentence he’s incapable of
running the country here then
prefix is ear ear so the pronunciation
is ear even though it’s IR ear for
example we see this in like
irresponsible or irredeemable or
irregular so again this means not
something so irresponsible means not
responsible irregular not regular
irredeemable is something that cannot be
made up we cannot redeem that thing so
here is another negative prefix meaning
not or no in a sentence your behavior
was irresponsible none
the next prefix is non non and Oh n so n
no N is a prefix again it means not or
against or like efficiency against so
non also means not something so for
example we see it in a word like
nonsense or like non sequential or non
sequitur so these are words that all
mean like not something so for example
non sense means no sense essentially not
sense non sequitur so sequitur the base
there is like think of the word sequence
we see that same sort of base in
sequence as we see a non sequitur and
that actually comes from the Latin
meaning like to follow something so it’s
non sequitur means like it does not
follow so a non sequitur means something
that just it’s not part of the
conversation it’s like a random comment
is a non sequitur so it does not follow
non sequitur is one so non means not or
no in a sentence this is nonsense okay
so those are ten useful prefixes so
you’ll notice that a lot of these
actually mean no or not but that doesn’t
mean that we can just mix and match
these so we can’t add like unto the word
logical we can’t say like unlogical or
maybe like dis logical for example we
always need to use the same prefix with
the same root word so please be careful
just because these prefixes mean the
same thing doesn’t mean that we can just
pick and choose as we like so it’s still
important to learn the correct prefix
and the words that it regularly attaches
to so please keep this in
as you study alright those are ten
useful prefixes I hope that they were
helpful for you if there are some other
prefixes that you have encountered or
some other prefixes you have a question
about please let us know in the comments
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watching this episode of top words and I
will see you again soon bye
antifreeze or auntie five minutes
antiphon to get political on this show
anti-communist yeah I could say that
anti anti racist what’s up with you and
your political words over there no
politics right here this is politics
free no no alright
you