November 2026 - Latin & Greek Prefixes Study Guide for nursing students in
Latin and Greek prefixes carry most medical vocabulary: pre- before, post- after, inter- between, intra- within, sub- under, trans- across. Learning thirty of them replaces memorising several hundred words.
Try 4 short questions throughout this guide. Check each answer to learn from the explanation.
0 of 4 questions answeredNo answers checked yet
Position and direction
Prefix
Means
Example
inter-
between
intercostal — between the ribs
intra-
within
intravenous — within a vein
sub-
under
subcutaneous — under the skin
supra-
above
suprapubic
trans-
across
transdermal — across the skin
peri-
around
perianal
endo-
inside
endoscopy
ex-
out of
excise — to cut out
circum-
around
circumference
Inter- and intra- differ by one letter and matter enormously in practice. Intermuscular is between muscles; intramuscular is within a muscle — the route an injection actually takes. Read the third letter before answering.
Time, number and negation
Prefix
Means
Example
pre-
before
preoperative
post-
after
postpartum
ante-
before
antenatal
re-
again
reassess
uni-, mono-
one
unilateral, monocyte
bi-, di-
two
bilateral
tri-
three
trimester
multi-, poly-
many
multidisciplinary, polypharmacy
semi-, hemi-
half
hemiplegia
un-, in-, im-, non-
not
unresponsive, insufficient, immobile
contra-, anti-
against
contraindicated, antiseptic
mal-
bad
malnutrition, malignant
Question 1 of 4
An injection given intramuscularly is delivered
Choose one answer, then check it.
View the Answer and Explanation
Correct answer: B. within a muscle.
Intra- means within, so the injection goes into the muscle itself. Between muscles would be intermuscular, under the skin would be subcutaneous, and across would be trans-.
How this earns marks
The exam does not usually ask what a prefix means in isolation. It gives a word you may not know in a sentence and asks what the sentence means — and the prefix is what lets you answer.
So the useful skill is not recitation but decomposition: seeing contraindicated and reading it as "against" plus "indicated", or postprandial as "after" plus "a meal". Practice splitting long words rather than memorising lists in the abstract.
Question 2 of 4
What does antenatal mean?
Choose one answer, then check it.
View the Answer and Explanation
Correct answer: B. Before birth
Ante- means before, so antenatal care is care given during pregnancy. "Against" is anti-, a one-letter difference that changes the meaning completely, and after birth would be postnatal.
Reading a word in context
Worked example
A note reads: The dressing is applied subdermally. What does that tell you, if you have not met the word?
Split it: sub + derm + ally.
sub- means under.
derm refers to skin — as in dermatology.
So the application is beneath the skin rather than on its surface.
Beneath the skin. Two familiar pieces are enough to place an unfamiliar word accurately, which is exactly what these questions reward.
The pairs most often confused
inter- between / intra- within.
ante- before / anti- against. Antenatal is before birth; antiseptic works against infection.
hyper- above / hypo- below.
pre- before / peri- around / post- after. Preoperative, perioperative and postoperative describe three different periods.
Terms to know
Prefix
A word part attached to the front of a root, changing its meaning.
Root
The core of a word, carrying its basic meaning.
Etymology
The origin and history of a word.
Cognate
A word sharing a root with another, often across languages.
Decomposition
Breaking a word into its parts to work out what it means.
What the TEAS asks most
The same core ideas appear in different wording. If you can answer these without stopping to think, you have what this section requires.
What does this prefix mean?
Learn the position, time, number and negation sets.
What does this unfamiliar word mean in context?
Split off the prefix, identify the root, and reassemble.
Which word means the opposite of this one?
Usually the same root with an opposing prefix: pre- against post-, hyper- against hypo-.
Question 3 of 4
A medication described as contraindicated for a patient is
Choose one answer, then check it.
View the Answer and Explanation
Correct answer: B. advised against for them.
Contra- means against, so the word says the medication is counselled against in this case. The prefix alone rules out the first choice, and neither prescription status nor dosing is carried anywhere in the word.
Inter- and intra- differ by one letter and by a great deal of meaning.
Ante- means before; anti- means against.
uni/mono one, bi/di two, tri three, multi/poly many, semi/hemi half.
Split unfamiliar words into prefix and root rather than guessing whole.
Question 4 of 4
Which word means "affecting one side only"?
Choose one answer, then check it.
View the Answer and Explanation
Correct answer: B. unilateral
Uni- means one and lateral means side. Bi- gives two, tri- three and multi- many — the same root with four different number prefixes, which is exactly how these questions are built.
TEAS · Latin prefixes
Knowledge Check Results
Answer the 4 questions in this guide to see your score, review each answer, and choose your next step.
Correct To Review
Your Answers, Question by Question
Select a question to revisit the passage and explanation.
To give you the best experience, we use cookies and similar technologies to store and access information on your device. With your consent, we may process data such as browsing activity and unique identifiers on this website. Choosing not to consent or withdrawing your consent may affect certain features and functionality. Please review our
Cookie Policy and
Privacy Policy.
