Prefixes or as they are also called “affixes” form meaningful words when they are attached to the start of a word.
Prefixes don’t have a meaning until they are joined to the start of some other word. It can be a single letter or a group of letters.
For Instance:
- Im (here “im” is the prefix, whereas possible is the stem)
- Il (In this word, “il” is the prefix making no meaning until it is attached to the stem “legal”)
| Prefix | Meaning | Example |
| de | from, down, away, reverse, opposite | Demotivate, demoralize, etc. |
| ab | Bad/not | Abuse, abhor, etc. |
| il | not | Illegal, illogical, etc. |
| mis | Bad or wrong | Mislead, misplace, etc. |
| anti | Against or Opposite | Antiperspirant, antisocial, etc. |
| pro | for, forward or before | Proactive, profess, etc. |
| re | Again or back | Reunite, Remake, etc. |
| un | Against or opposite | Uninvited, unfaithful, etc. |