Words with the prefix de-
de- means “remove; reverse; reduce”, from Latin.
15 examples of the prefix de-
- defrostde- + frostremove frost from something
- decodede- + codereverse a coded message
- deformde- + formreduce or distort the shape
- devaluede- + valuereduce the value of something
- deforestde- + forestremove trees from an area
- deflatede- + flatereduce air or pressure inside
- derailde- + railremove a train from rails
- deactivatede- + activatereverse or stop an activation
- decentralizede- + centralizeremove central control from
- dehumidifyde- + humidifyremove moisture from the air
- decomposede- + composebreak down into component parts
- desensitizede- + sensitizereduce sensitivity to something
- deregulatede- + regulateremove regulations or restrictions from
- decriminalizede- + criminalizereverse the criminal status of
- decontaminatede- + contaminateremove harmful contaminants from something
How de- works
The prefix 'de-' attaches to verbs, nouns, and adjectives without spelling changes, typically producing a verb meaning removal, reversal, or reduction of the base concept. Unlike prefixes such as 'in-', 'de-' does not assimilate to the following consonant, so its form remains stable across all words.
Watch out: Words like 'device,' 'define,' 'delay,' and 'desire' look like they contain 'de-' meaning remove or reverse, but they come from Latin roots where 'de-' had different senses or is fused inseparably into the root.
To see prefixes combine with other parts, try the word dissector and root builder, or test yourself in the vocabulary quiz.
Other common prefixes
Questions people ask
What does the prefix de- mean?
de- means “remove; reverse; reduce”. It comes from Latin. The prefix 'de-' attaches to verbs, nouns, and adjectives without spelling changes, typically producing a verb meaning removal, reversal, or reduction of the base concept. Unlike prefixes such as 'in-', 'de-' does not assimilate to the following consonant, so its form remains stable across all words.
What are some examples of words with the prefix de-?
defrost, decode, deform, devalue, deforest, deflate, derail, deactivate. The full list of 15 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.
Which words look like they have the prefix de- but don’t?
Words like 'device,' 'define,' 'delay,' and 'desire' look like they contain 'de-' meaning remove or reverse, but they come from Latin roots where 'de-' had different senses or is fused inseparably into the root.
What is a prefix?
A prefix is a word part added to the front of a base word or root to change its meaning, like un- in unhappy or re- in rewrite. It does not usually change the part of speech.