E.g.: Agree; Disagree    Dis- is a prefix

A prefix has its own meaning but it cannot exist on its own. It has to be attached to a word.

A prefix changes the meaning of the root word. So, while "agree" has a positive meaning, "disagree"
brings a negative meaning.

More examples of a prefix:

un-, in-, ir-, mis-, il-, non-, im-

Prefixes and their meanings:

When un-, in-, non-, im-, ir- or il- is added to a word, the new meaning is often negative. E.g.:

fortunate - unfortunate
flexible - inflexible
violent - non-violent
possible - impossible
responsible - irresponsible
legal - illegal

NOTE: dis-, im- and mis- bring a negative meaning. But when they are added to nouns, the new
words remain as nouns. E.g:

advantage - disadvantage
balance - imbalance
fortune - misfortune

ALSO NOTE: When dis-, im- and mis- are added to verbs, the new words remain as verbs. E.g:

agree - disagree
judge - misjudge
use- misuse

Exercise: Change the following words into their negative forms:

understanding -

acceptable -

approval -

replaceable -

obedience -

logical -

proper -

believe -

common -

rational -

agreement -


(Answers: misunderstanding, unacceptable, disapproval, irreplaceable, disobedience, illogical, improper, disbelieve, uncommon, irrational, disagreement.)

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