alpha privatives

A form of alpha privative — The prefix a- (or an- when prefixing a root which begins with a vowel) found in some English words of Greek derivation. It expresses negation or absence. The prefix has cognates in other Indo-European languages, including in- in Latin and un- in English, all traceable back to Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of alpha privative
Cite this entry
APA

alpha privatives. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha%20privatives

MLA

“alpha privatives.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha%20privatives. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alpha privatives,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha%20privatives.

Source: alpha privatives on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.