ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Word parts›Prefixes›a/an
PrefixGreek
a/an
without/lack of
Greek a- or an- meant 'without': apathy lacks feeling, anonymous writing lacks a name, and an anodyne leaves pain absent.
Words built from it
- apathy — lack of interest or feeling
a- (without) + pathy (feeling) - anonymous — without a known name or identity
an- (without) + onym (name) - anomaly — something that deviates from the normal
an- (not) + omal (even, regular) - anomalous — deviating from what is normal
an- (not) + omal (even, regular) - anodyne — not likely to cause offense; painkilling
an- (without) + odyne (pain)
Looks like it, but is not
- abhor — from Latin ab- 'away' plus horrere 'to shudder', not the Greek negating a-
- analysis — from Greek ana- 'up' + lysis 'loosening,' not privative an-
- acerbic — from Latin acerbus 'bitter, sour'; the initial a is part of the root, not a prefix
Drill this word part in the app
Related word parts
- path — feeling