Word Parts
If all three word parts are present in medical terminology, they will be in the order of prefix
root word suffix. Look at the following example to understand the function of each word
part:
anti-bacteri-al
The prefix, or the letter or
The suffix, or the letter or
group of letters before the
group of letters after the
root word, is anti-, which
the word part that
root word, is -al, which
means “against” or
provides the basic
“opposed to.”
meaning of the
word, is bacteri,
which means
“bacteria.”
As you can see, even if you have never heard of the word “antibacterial,” the word parts
provide clues that it is something that protects against bacteria. Therefore, it can be helpful to
take into consideration the meaning of word parts, in addition to the context of the sentence or
paragraph that the word is in, to decipher an unfamiliar word’s meaning. Also, keep in mind
that while many medical terms contain all three word parts, others will contain varying
combinations such as root/suffix, prefix/root, prefix/suffix, etc. Some words will even contain
two roots, such as osteoarthritis (osteo = bone, arthr = joint). Now let’s look at some of the
most common roots, prefixes, and suffixes used in the different body systems.
Provided by Guide to Common Medical Terminology
The Academic Center for Excellence 2 December 2020
