- around something else?
- within something else?
- below something else?
Suffixes
Suffixes are word parts that are located at the end of words. Suffixes can alter the meaning of medical terms. It is important to spell and pronounce suffixes correctly.
Suffixes in medical terms are common to English language suffixes. Suffixes are not always explicitly stated in the definition of a word. It is common that suffixes will not be explicitly stated when defining a medical term in the workplace. However, when transcribing or reading medical reports the suffix is always clearly written. In order to properly spell and pronounce medical terms, it is helpful to learn the suffixes.
Common Suffixes
| SUFFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS |
|---|---|---|
| -ac | Pertaining to | Cardiac |
| -blast, -blasto, -blastic | Bud; Germ | Myeloblast |
| -cyte, -cytic | Cell | Thrombocyte |
| -dynia | Pain; Swelling | Thoracodynia |
| -eal, -ial | Pertaining to | Esophageal |
| -ectasis | Expansion; Dilation | Atelectasis |
| -emia | Blood condition | Anemia |
| -ia | Condition | Hemophilia |
| -iasis | Condition; Formation of | Psoriasis |
| -ism | Condition | Hypothyroidism |
| -ites, -itis | Inflammation | Arthritis |
| -ity | Pertaining to | Immunity |
| -ium | Structure or tissue | Epithelium |
| -lysis, -lytic | Break down; Destruction; Dissolving | Osteolytic |
| -malacia | Softening | Osteomalacia |
| -megaly | Enlargement | Acromegaly |
| -oid | Resembling | Arachnoid trabeculae |
| -oma | Tumor | Angiosarcoma |
| -osis | Condition; Usually abnormal | Endometriosis |
| -ous | Pertaining to | Aqueous |
| -pathy | Disease | Lymphadenopathy |
| -penia | Deficiency; Lack of | Thrombocytopenia |
| -phagia, -phagy | Eating; Swallowing | Dysphagia |
| -phasia | Speech | Aphasia |
| -plasia, -plastic | Growth | Hyperplasia |
| -plegia | Paralysis | Hemiplegia |
| -pnea | Breathing | Sleep apnea |
| -poiesis | Production | Hemopoiesis |
| -ptosis | Falling; Drooping | Apoptosis |
| -rrhage, -rrhagic | Bleeding | Hemorrhage |
| -rrhea | Flow or discharge | Diarrhea |
| -sclerosis | Hardening | Arteriosclerosis |
| -sis | Condition | Agranulocytosis |
| -stasis | Level; Unchanging | Homeostasis |
| -trophy | Growth | Hypertrophy |
| -uria | In the urine | Anuria |
Procedure Suffixes
| SUFFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLE OF USE IN MEDICAL TERMS |
|---|---|---|
| -centesis | Surgical puncture to remove fluid | Thoracentesis |
| -desis | Surgical binding | Pleurodesis |
| -ectomy | Cut out; Removal | Mastectomy |
| -gram | Record; Picture | Electrocardiogram |
| -graph | Instrument used to create a record or picture | Electrocardiograph |
| -graphy | To record or take a picture | Echocardiography |
| -meter | Device used for measuring | Sphygmomanometer |
| -opsy | Visual examination | Biopsy |
| -ostomy | Opening | Colostomy |
| -otomy | Incision | Laparotomy |
| -pexy | Surgical fixation | Oophoropexy |
| -plasty | Surgical reconstruction | Vertebroplasty |
| -scope | For examining | Endoscope |
| -scopy | Examine | Endoscopy |
Concept Check
- Do you know the difference between the suffixes -gram, -graph, and -graphy?
- Which suffixes denote a condition or disease?
Word parts and definitions from “Appendix A: Word Parts and What They Mean” by MedlinePlus and is under public domain.
Definitions of medical term examples from:
- Anatomy and Physiology (on OpenStax), by Betts et al. and is used under a CC BY 4.0 international license. Download and access this book for free at https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/1-introduction
- Concepts of Biology (on OpenStax), by Fowler et al. and is used under a CC BY 4.0 international license. Download and access this book for free at https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/1-introduction
- NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms by the National Cancer Institute and is used under public domain.
