What does préfix mean?

Definitions for préfix
ˈpri fɪks; priˈfɪkspréfix

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word préfix.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. prefixverb

    an affix that is added in front of the word

  2. prefixverb

    attach a prefix to

    "prefixed words"

Wiktionary

  1. prefixnoun

    That which is prefixed; especially one or more letters or syllables added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning; as, pre- in prefix, con- in conjure.

  2. prefixverb

    To determine beforehand; to set in advance.

  3. prefixverb

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

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Prefixnoun

    Some particle put before a word, to vary its signification.

    Etymology: præfixum, Lat.

    In the Hebrew language the noun has its prefixa and affixa, the former to signify some few relations, and the latter to denote the pronouns possessive and relative. Clarke.

    It is a prefix of augmentation to many words in that language. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.

  2. To PREFIXverb

    Etymology: præfigo, Lat.

    At the prefix’d hour of her awaking,
    Came I to take her from her kindred’s vault. William Shakespeare.

    A time prefix, and think of me at last! George Sandys.

    Its inundation constantly increaseth the seventh day of June; wherein a larger form of speech were safer, than that which punctually prefixeth a constant day. Brown.

    Booth’s forward valour only serv’d to show,
    He durst that duty pay we all did owe:
    Th’ attempt was fair; but heav’ns prefixed hour
    Not come. Dryden.

    Because I would prefix some certain boundary between them, the old statutes end with king Edward II. the new or later statutes begin with king Edward III. Matthew Hale, Law of England.

    These boundaries of species are as men, and not as nature makes them, if there are in nature any such prefixed bounds. John Locke.

Wikipedia

  1. Prefix

    A prefix is an affix which is placed before the stem of a word. Adding it to the beginning of one word changes it into another word. For example, when the prefix un- is added to the word happy, it creates the word unhappy. Particularly in the study of languages, a prefix is also called a preformative, because it alters the form of the words to which it is affixed. Prefixes, like other affixes, can be either inflectional, creating a new form of the word with the same basic meaning and same lexical category (but playing a different role in the sentence), or derivational, creating a new word with a new semantic meaning and sometimes also a different lexical category. Prefixes, like all other affixes, are usually bound morphemes.In English, there are no inflectional prefixes; English uses suffixes instead for that purpose. The word prefix is itself made up of the stem fix (meaning "attach", in this case), and the prefix pre- (meaning "before"), both of which are derived from Latin roots.

ChatGPT

  1. prefix

    A prefix is a word part added at the beginning of a base word or root word to create a new word with a different meaning. It alters or enhances the meaning of the word. Examples include "unhappy" where "un-" is the prefix meaning "not", altering the meaning of the base word "happy."

Webster Dictionary

  1. Prefixverb

    to put or fix before, or at the beginning of, another thing; as, to prefix a syllable to a word, or a condition to an agreement

  2. Prefixverb

    to set or appoint beforehand; to settle or establish antecedently

  3. Prefixnoun

    that which is prefixed; esp., one or more letters or syllables combined or united with the beginning of a word to modify its signification; as, pre- in prefix, con- in conjure

  4. Etymology: [L. praefixus, p. p. of praefigere to fix or fasten before; prae before + figere to fix: cf. F. prfix fixed beforehand, determined, prfixer to prefix. See Fix.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Prefix

    prē-fiks′, v.t. to put before, or at the beginning: to fix beforehand.—ns. Prē′fix, a letter, syllable, or word put before another word to affect its meaning; Prefix′ion, act of prefixing.

Matched Categories

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce préfix?

How to say préfix in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of préfix in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of préfix in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of préfix in a Sentence

  1. Burton:

    It is a kind of policy in these days to prefix a fantastical title to a book which is to be sold; for as larks come down to a day-net, many vain readers will tarry and stand gazing, like silly passengers, at an antic picture in a painter?s shop that will not look at a judicious piece.

  2. Uma Valeti:

    The nomenclature is one of the things to be working on with the regulators, because it is real meat, if someone's got, let's say, an allergy to meat or fish, they should know this is real meat. So, it's going to be called meat but the prefix is what we're working on.

  3. The FBI:

    The incarcerated fraudsters — who typically bribe guards to acquire cell phones — would choose an affluent area such as Beverly Hills, California, they would search the Internet to learn the correct area code and telephone dialing prefix. Then, with nothing but time on their hands, they would start dialing numbers in sequence, trolling for victims.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

préfix#1#8372#10000

Translations for préfix

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for préfix »

Translation

Find a translation for the préfix definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"préfix." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 19 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/pr%C3%A9fix>.

Discuss these préfix definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for préfix? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    préfix

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    tasteless showiness
    A preponderance
    B mealie
    C brashness
    D sousing

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for préfix: