prefix

noun

(grammar, linguistic morphology) A morpheme added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning, for example as, pre- in prefix, con- in conjure, re- in reheat, etc.

Something placed before another

A title added to a person's name, such as Mr. or Dr.

(telecommunications) A set of digits placed before a telephone number, to indicate where the number is based, what type of phone number it is (landline, mobile, toll-free, premium rate etc.)

(computing) An initial segment of a string of characters.

verb

(transitive) To put or fix before, or at the beginning of something; to place at the start.

(transitive) To determine beforehand; to set in advance.

Roots

praepre- · Latin · before, in front figo-fix · Latin · fasten

Synonyms for prefix

suffixn suffixationn postfixn infixn affixationn affixv

Synonyms & related words for prefix

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of prefix — including suffix, suffixation, postfix, infix, affixation, affix. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to prefix

Explore words related to prefix — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include prepend, suffixion, identifier, numeral, alphanumerical, designator, alphanumeric, filename. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for prefix

Common synonyms for prefix include suffix, suffixation, postfix, infix, affixation, affix — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does prefix come from?

The word prefix breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: pre-, from Latin prae (“before, in front”); and -fix, from Latin figo (“fasten”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.