contra- against
- When you contradict someone, you say something against his or her point of view.
- A contrary opinion is one not in agreement with (or that goes against) the majority.
- Controversy occurs when two or more people disagree.
de- reduce; remove
- When you deduct money from your bank account, you remove it.
- Deceleration is the opposite of acceleration. You are reducing your speed.
- To dethrone a king is to remove him from the throne.
- When you debug your computer, you remove the “bugs,” i.e., viruses or glitches.
ex- out
- The exterior of your house is the outer portion.
- To exhale is to breathe out.
- Archaeologists excavate a site by digging out the dirt that surrounds an artifact.
- The ex-Congressman left, or came out, of Congress. He is no longer in office.
im-, in- not; without
Lots of words start with im- and in-, and they are almost all negative in meaning.
- Impossible means “not possible.”
- Inappropriate means “not appropriate.”
magna- great; large
- To call something magnificent suggests that it is a great achievement.
- To magnify is to make something larger.
- A magnate is a great or powerful person, especially in business.
mis- bad; wrong; hate
Mis- is another negative prefix.
- When your little brother misbehaves, he behaves badly.
- If a book contains a misprint, the words were printed in the wrong way.