Question 1
The prefix dis- appears in the word disagree. What does dis- most likely mean?
"dis-" means "not" or "opposite of." In disagree, it reverses the meaning of agree, producing "to not agree" or "to hold the opposite opinion."
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Answer question 1 to unlock
The prefix in- means "not," as in incomplete. Before b, m, or p, it becomes im-, as in impossible. What does the prefix in-/im- mean?
"in-" means "not." Before a root beginning with b, m, or p, it shifts to "im-" for ease of pronunciation. In incomplete, "in-" negates complete. In impossible, "im-" negates possible.
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Answer question 2 to unlock
The prefixes un- and non- appear in everyday words like unhappy and nonstop. What do un- and non- mean?
Both "un-" and "non-" mean "not." In unhappy, "un-" negates happy. In nonstop, "non-" negates stop, yielding "without stopping."
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Answer question 3 to unlock
The prefix a- means "without" or "not," as in atypical. Before a vowel, it becomes an-. How does the prefix a- shape the meaning of amoral?
"a-" means "without" or "not." Before a vowel it becomes "an-." In amoral, "a-" attaches to moral to produce "without morals" — not concerned with right or wrong, rather than actively violating moral standards (which would be immoral).
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Answer question 4 to unlock
The word misunderstand contains the prefix mis-. What does mis- contribute to the meaning of misunderstand?
"mis-" means "wrongly" or "incorrectly." In misunderstand, it attaches to understand to mean "to understand in the wrong way." The prefix signals that an action is being performed incorrectly, not simply that it is absent.
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Answer question 5 to unlock
The prefix dis- appears in dissect. The root -sect comes from a Latin word meaning "to cut." Which of the following best describes what dis- contributes here?
In dissect, "dis-" carries the meaning "apart" rather than "not." Combined with -sect (to cut), dissect means "to cut apart." "dis-" has two related senses — "not/opposite of" and "apart/away" — and context determines which applies.
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Answer question 6 to unlock
The prefix non- appears in nonchalant. The word's root comes from a French term meaning "to be concerned." Based on the prefix, what does nonchalant most likely mean?
"non-" means "not." Combined with a root meaning "to be concerned," nonchalant means "not concerned" — casually indifferent, as though nothing is troubling or pressing.
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Answer question 7 to unlock
The prefix im- appears in impervious. The root -pervious means "allowing passage through." What does impervious most likely mean?
"im-" is the form of "in-" used before p, meaning "not." Combined with pervious (allowing passage through), impervious means "not allowing anything to penetrate or pass through." It is frequently used figuratively — a person can be impervious to criticism.
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Answer question 8 to unlock
The prefix an- appears in anomalous. The root comes from a Greek word meaning "regular" or "even." What does anomalous most likely mean?
"an-" is the form of "a-" used before vowels, meaning "without" or "not." The root derives from Greek homalos ("regular," "even"). Anomalous therefore means "not regular" — departing from what is standard or expected.
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Answer question 9 to unlock
The prefix mis- appears in misconstrue. The root -construe means "to interpret." What does misconstrue most likely mean?
"mis-" means "wrongly" or "incorrectly." Combined with construe (to interpret), misconstrue means "to interpret something incorrectly" — to draw the wrong meaning from a statement or situation.
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