ab-

prefix

From.

“ab- + sorb → absorb”

Similar
out-off-apo-de-awayoff
OriginLatin ab- ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂epo →
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Meanings

ab-1

prefix

alternative a- · alternative abs-

  1. idiomaticFrom.

    ab- + sorb → absorb

  2. idiomaticAway from; outside of.

    ab- + axial → abaxial

    1 more example

    ab- + normal → abnormal

ab-2

prefix
  1. natural sciencesUsed in the names of certain units in the centimeter-gram-second system.

    ab- + henry → abhenry

    1 more example

    ab- + coulomb → abcoulomb

Synonyms & antonyms

away from

Similar
out-off-apo-de-awayoff
Also see
apo-awayde-off-out-

Origin

ab- · prefix

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂epo“off, away”
  2. Latinab-
  3. Englishab-

Borrowed from Latin ab-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epo (“off, away”) (English off, of). Doublet of apo- and off-.

More words from Latin, Proto-Indo-European

Full word history & related roots →

ab- · prefix

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
  3. Proto-Italic*ap
  4. Latinab
  5. Latinab-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*s(w)é
  7. Latinse-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*luh₁éti
  10. Proto-Italic[Term?]
  11. Latinluō
  12. Latinsolvō
  13. Latinabsolvō
  14. Latinabsolūtus
  15. Middle Frenchabsolut
  16. Middle Englishabsolut
  17. Englishabsoluteclip.
  18. Englishab-

Clipping of absolute.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ab-. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ab-

MLA

“ab-.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ab-. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ab-,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ab-.

Source: ab- on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.