prefix

Pronunciation: /ˈpriːfɪks/

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Definition of prefix

noun

a word, letter, or number placed before another:the Institute was granted the prefix ‘Royal’ in 1961
an element placed at the beginning of a word to adjust or qualify its meaning (e.g. ex-, non-, re-) or (in some languages) as an inflection.
a title placed before a name (e.g. Mr).

verb

[with object]

add (something) at the beginning as a prefix or introduction:a preface is prefixed to the book
add a prefix or introduction to (something):all three-digit numbers will now be prefixed by 580

Derivatives

prefixation

Origin:

mid 16th century (as a verb): from Old French prefixer, from Latin praefixus 'fixed in front', from the verb praefigere, from prae 'before' + figere 'to fix'. The noun is from modern Latin praefixum, neuter (used as a noun) of praefixus, and dates from the mid 17th century

Grammar

Part of a word that comes before the base. Prefixes add to or alter the meaning of the base word in some way, as can be seen by the following examples.

base word	prefix	product
market	super-	supermarket
	hyper-	hypermarket
interested	un-	uninterested
	dis-	disinterested

prefix in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of prefix in the US English dictionary

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Other

prefix

noun

verb

Derivatives

prefixation

Origin:

Grammar

prefix in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

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