dis-

a Latin prefix meaning “apart,” “asunder,” “away,” “utterly,” or having a privative, negative, or reversing force (see de-, un-²); used freely, especially with these latter senses, as an English formative: disability; disaffirm; disbar; disbelief; discontent; dishearten; dislike; disown.

Nearby words

dirty work, dirty-minded, dis, dis aliter visum, dis pater, dis-, dis., disability, disability clause, disability insurance, disability rights commission

Also di-.

Origin of dis-

< Latin (akin to bis, Greek dís twice); before f, dif-; before some consonants, di-; often replacing obsolete des- < Old French

Definition for dis- (2 of 2)

dis-

variant of di-¹ before s: dissyllable.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for dis- (1 of 2)

dis-

prefix

indicating reversaldisconnect; disembark

indicating negation, lack, or deprivationdissimilar; distrust; disgrace

indicating removal or releasedisembowel; disburden

expressing intensive forcedissever

Word Origin for dis-

from Latin dis- apart; in some cases, via Old French des-. In compound words of Latin origin, dis- becomes dif- before f and di- before some consonants

British Dictionary definitions for dis- (2 of 2)

dis-

combining form

variant of di- 1 dissyllable

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for dis-

dis-

pref.

Not:disjugate.

Absence of; opposite of:disorientation.

Undo; do the opposite of:dislocate.

Deprive of; remove:dismember.