Prefixes: a- and an- of English words,
Part 2 of 4.
“alogia” to “anonymous”
a-, an- (Greek: a prefix meaning: no, absence of, without, lack of, not).
These prefixes are normally used with elements of Greek origin, a- is used before consonants and an- is used before vowels. It affects the meanings of hundreds of words.
There are too many words that use these prefix elements to list all of them on this site; however, there are some significant examples listed in this and the other groups provided.
alogia:
The inability to speak due to a mental deficiency or an episode of dementia.
amaranth:
1. A legendary flower that never fades or dies.
2. Any plant of the genus Amaranthus, some of which are grown especially for their flowers and colored leaves.
amastia:
Absence of the breasts.
amaurosis:
Partial or total loss of sight.
ambrosia:
1. In Greek and Roman mythology, the food or drink of the gods thought to bestow immortality (a- [not] + Greek brotos [mortal] + -ia).
amelia:
Congenital absence of a limb or limbs.
amenorrhea:
Absence or abnormal stoppage of the menses (menstruation); also amenia.
amnesty:
A general pardon, especially for political offenses against a government (a- [without] + mne [memory] + -ty).
amentia:
Without normal mental abilities.
ametria:
Absence of the uterus.
amicrobic:
Not microbic.
amicroscopic:
Too small to be seen through a microscope; unable to be seen even with a microscope.
amimia:
A loss of the ability to express oneself with signs or gestures.
amnemonic:
Relating to the loss of memory.
amnesia:
Partial or total loss of memory; the inability to recall past experiences; lacking memory.
amoral:
1. Neither moral nor immoral.
2. Not concerned with or amenable to moral judgments; not caring about good behavior or morals; lacking moral principles.
amorph:
Without shape or form.
amorphous:
1. Having no definite form; shapeless, formless.
2. Not belonging to a particular type or pattern. 3. Without crystalline form or structure.
amort:
Without death; not dying.
amusia:
The inability to produce or comprehend music or musical sounds. From Greek amousia (through New Latin), a state of being without the Muses, especially song.
amyoesthesia:
Absence of muscle sensations.
amyoplasia:
Deficient formation of muscle tissue and deficient muscle growth.
amyotonia:
Generalized absence of muscle tone, usually associated with flabby musculature and an increased range of passive movement at joints.
amyotrophia:
Lacking muscle nourishment.
amyous:
Lacking muscular tissue or muscular strength.
amyxorrhea:
The absence of the normal secretion of mucus.
anachronism:
Something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time.
anacidity:
Absence of acidity; the abnormal absence of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
anacousia, anacusia, anakusia, anacusis, anakusis:
Total deafness; without the ability to hear.
anacoustic:
A situation in which sound cannot be transmitted.
anadenia:
Absence of glands.
anaerobe:
A microorganism that lives and grows in the complete, or almost complete, absence of molecular oxygen.
anaerobic:
Living without oxygen or air.
anaerobiosis:
Existence in an oxygen-free atmosphere.
anaerophyte:
A plant that grows without air.
anaeroplasty:
Treatment of wounds by exclusion of air.
analgesia:
A state in which painful stimuli are so moderated that, though still perceived, they are no longer painful; feeling no pain.
analgesic:
A drug or remedy that relieves pain; such as, aspirin, etc.
analphabetic:
Not able to read or to write.
anandria:
An absence of masculinity.
anandrous:
In botany, having no stamens.
ananthous:
In botany, having no flowers.
anaphrodisia:
Repressing or destroying sexual desire.
anarchy:
1. The complete absence of government.
2. Political disorder and violence; lawlessness.
3. Disorder in any sphere of activity.
anarthria:
Loss of articulate speech.
anastral:
Lacking an astrosphere.
anechoic:
Free from echoes; completely absorbing sound waves or radar signals.
anemia:
Lack of red blood cells.
anemotrophy:
A lack of substances essential to the formation of blood.
anencephaly:
1. Congenital defective development of the brain, with absence of the bones of the cranial vault and absent or rudimentary cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres, brainstem, and basal ganglia.
2. Partial or total absence of the brain at birth.
anenterous:
Lacking intestines.
anenzymia:
Congenital absence of an enzyme.
anephric:
Without kidneys.
anephrogenesis:
Congenital absence of kidney tissue.
anergy:
Lacking energy.
aneroid:
Without fluid.
anerythroplasia:
A condition in which there is no formation of red blood cells.
anesthecinesia, anesthekinesia:
Lacking proper movement; combined sensory and motor paralysis.
anesthesia:
A total or partial loss of the sense of pain, temperature, touch, etc.
anecdysis:
The absence of molting or a prolonged intermolt period.
anethopathy, anetopathy:
Absence of moral inhibitions; unethicalness.
aneuthanasia:
Painful death.
anhedonia:
Absence of pleasure from the performance of acts that would ordinarily be pleasurable.
anhidrosis, anidrosis:
Absence or deficiency of sweating; in humans this is usually due to absence or paralysis of the sweat glands or to obstruction of the sweat ducts.
anhydration:
A lack of water in the system.
anhydride:
A compound derived by the removal of water from an acid or other compound.
anhydrobiosis:
Dormancy induced by low humidity or by drying out.
anhydrous:
Deprived or destitute of water; without water.
aniconia:
Absence of mental imagery.
aniso:
A word root meaning “not equal”.
anisognathous:
Having jaws of unequal size.
anisothenic:
Having unequal strength.
anisotropic:
1. Having unequal responses to external stimuli.
2. Having properties that vary depending on the direction of measurement.
anodontia:
A congenital absence of the teeth other than by extraction or impaction.
anodyne:
A medicine or remedy that soothes or relieves pain.
anoesis, anoesia:
Absence of cognition or knowledge; a state of sheer feeling, having no reference to objects; noncognitive consciousness.
anoetic:
Lacking the power of concentration.
anomalous, anomaly:
Deviating from the normal rule, method, or arrangement; irregular, abnormal.
anomia:
The inability to name objects or of recognizing and recalling their names.
anomie, anomy:
A reference to a lack of social control in which the absence of regulation and control has permitted desires to grow beyond all hope of satisfaction and so such a condition may result in “anomic suicide”.
anonychia:
Congenital absence of nails (finger and/or toe).
anonymous, anonym:
1. With no name known or acknowledged.
2. Given, written, etc. by a person whose name is withheld.
3. Not easily distinguished from others or from one another because of a lack of individual features or character.
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