APPENDIX III
PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES USED IN
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
The following are some of the more common
prefixes and suffixes used by healthcare providers to
describe body conditions and procedures.
PREFIXES
a-; an- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lacking; absence of
ab- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . away from
acr/o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . extremities
ad- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . towards; addition of
adip/o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fat
aer/o
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . air
amphi- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . on both sides
amyl/o. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . starch
andr/o
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . male
AIII-1
Medical terminology uses components (i.e., prefixes and suffixes) to build words that represent
medical conditions and procedures. These words can often seem intimidating until you learn how to
break them down into their component parts.
Examples of Combinations of Prefixes and Suffixes
cholecystitis = chole + cyst + itis
(inflammation of the gallbladder)
chole
=
gall
cyst
=
bladder
Itis
=
inflammation
cholelithiasis = chole + lith + iasis
(condition resulting from gallstones)
chole
=
gall
lith
=
stone
iasis
=
condition (resulting from)
odontalgia = odont + algia
(tooth pain; toothache)
odont
=
tooth
algia
=
pain
rhinoplasty = rhino + plasty
(to form or build up the nose)
rhino
=
nose
plasty =
to form or build up
