1612
im-
possible impossible
il-
literate illiterate
ir-
regular irregular
It's just not possible to do that. It's impossible.
dis-
agree disagree
approve disapprove
honest dishonest
I don't agree with everything you said. I disagree with the last part.
de-
increase decrease
ascend descend
inflate deflate
Increase means to make or become larger in amount or number. Decrease means to make or become smaller in amount or number.
sense nonsense
payment nonpayment
resident nonresident
The hotel serves meals to residents (=people who are staying in the hotel) only. Nonresidents are not allowed in.
Word beginnings
a-1 /ə/ 1 in the stated condition or way: alive (=living) | aloud | with nerves all atingle (=tingling) 2 lit or old use in, to, at, or on: abed (=in bed) | afar (=far away)
a-2 /ei, æ, ə/ (showing an opposite or the absence of something) not; without: amoral (=not moral) | atypically (=not typically)
aero- /eə rəʊ, eərə/ concerning the air or aircraft: aerodynamics (=science of movement through air) | an aeroengine
Afro- /æfrəʊ/ 1 of Africa; African: an Afro-American (=a black American person) 2 African and: Afro-Asian (=of both Africa and Asia)
after- /ɑːftəʳ||æf-/ coming or happening afterwards: aftercare (=care given afterwards) | a bottle of aftershave (=liquid used on the face after shaving)
agro- /ægrəʊ/ also agri- /ægri/ — concerning farming: agrobiology | agribusiness
all- /ɔːl/ 1 consisting or made only of: an all-male club | an all-wool dress 2 for the whole of: All-India Railways | an all-day event | an all-night party (=lasting all night) | an all-night cafe (=staying open all night)
ambi- /æmbi/ both; double: ambidextrous (=using both hands equally well) | ambiguous (=having two meanings)
an- /ən, æn/ (the form used for a-2 before a vowel sound) not; without: anarchy (=without government) | anoxia (=a condition caused by lack of oxygen)
-andr- /ændr/ tech concerning males or men: androgynous plants (=plants that are both male and female) | polyandry (=having more than one husband at the same time)
Anglo- /æŋgləʊ/ (sometimes not cap.) 1 of England or Britain: an anglophile (=someone who loves Britain) 2 English or British and: an Anglo-Scottish family | an improvement in Anglo-American relations
ante- /ænti/ before: to antedate (=be earlier than) | antenatal (=before birth) —compare ANTI-, POST-, PRE-
anthropo- /ænθrəʊ, -pə/ tech like or concerning human beings: anthropomorphic (=having human form or qualities)
anti- /ænti||ænti, æntaɪ/ also ant- /ænt/ 1 opposed to; against: antinuclear (=opposing the use of atomic weapons and power) | anti-American 2 opposite of: an anticlimax (=an unexciting ending instead of the expected CLIMAX) | antimatter (=made of material completely opposite in kind to the ordinary material in the universe) 3 acting to prevent the stated thing: antifreeze (=a liquid added to prevent freezing) | antiseptic (=to stop bacteria) —compare ANTE-, PRO-
USAGE In informal spoken English anti is sometimes used as a preposition: She's very anti the present government. | My father's very anti pop music.
—see also PRO- (USAGE)
arch- /ɑːtʃ, ɑːk||ɑːr-/ of the highest class or rank; chief; main: an archbishop (=a chief BISHOP) | our archenemy (=our main or worst enemy) | the company's archrivals (=main competitors)
astro- /æstrəʊ, æstrə/ concerning the stars, the PLANETS, or space: an astronaut (=someone who travels in space) | astrophysics (=science of the stars)
Austro- /ɒstrəʊ||ɔː-, α:-/ 1 Australian and: Austro-Malayan 2 Austrian and: the Austro-Italian border
auto- /ɔːtəʊ, ɒtə/ 1 of or by oneself: an autobiography (=book about one's own life, written by oneself) 2 working by itself, and not needing a human to control it: an auto-pilot
be- /bi/ 1 (in verbs) to treat as the stated thing: Don't belittle him. (=say he is unimportant) | She befriended me. (=became my friend) 2 especially lit (in adjectives) wearing the stated thing: a bespectacled boy (=wearing glasses) 3 especially lit or old use (in verbs) completely; thoroughly: to besmear (=to make very dirty)
bi- /baɪ/ two; twice; double: bilingual (=speaking two languages) | to bisect (=to cut in two) —compare SEMI- (3); —see also DI-, TRI-
USAGE Expressions like biweekly can be confusing, because they can mean either 'twice in one week/ month/year' or 'once in two weeks/months/years', depending on the situation in which they are used.
biblio- /bɪbliəʊ, bɪbliə/ concerning books: a bibliophile (=someone who likes books)
bio- /baɪəʊ, baə/ concerning living things: biochemistry (=study of the chemistry of living things)
by-, bye- /baɪ/ less important: a by-product (=something made in addition to the main product) | a by-election (=one held between regular elections)
cardio- /kɑːdiə, kɑːdiə||kɑːr-/ also cardi- /kɑːdi||kɑːr-/ — med concerning the heart: a cardiograph (=instrument that measures movements of the heart)
centi- /senti/ also cent- /sent/ — 1 100: a centipede (=creature with 100 legs) 2 100th part of the stated unit: a centimetre (=0.01 metres)
chrono- /krɒnə, krɒnə||kraʊn-/ also chron- /krɒn||kraʊn/ — concerning time: a chronometer (=instrument for measuring time very exactly)
cine- /sɪni/ especially BrE concerning films or the film industry: a cinecamera (=for making films)
circum- /sɜːkəm||sɜːr-/ all the way round something: to circumnavigate (=sail round) the world | to circumvent (=avoid by finding a way round)
co- /kəʊ/ 1 together; with: to coexist (=exist together or at the same time) | coeducation (=of boys and girls together) 2 doing something with someone else a as an equal: my coauthor (=someone who wrote the book with me) b with less responsibility; ASSISTANT: the copilot (=someone who helps the pilot)
col- /kɒl, kɒl||kɒl, kaɪ/ (the form used for CON- before l): to collaborate (=work together)
com- /kɒm, kɒm||kə, kʌm/ (the form used for CON- before b, m or p): compassion (=sympathy)