mega-
Origin of mega-
WORDS THAT USE MEGA-
What does mega- mean?
Mega- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “large, great, grand, abnormally large.” It is used in many scientific and medical terms.
In science, mega- is specifically used as a prefix in units of measure equaling a factor of “one million.” It’s abbreviation is M. So, a megawatt (MW) is one million watts.
Mega- comes from the Greek mégas, meaning “large” or “great.”
What are variants of mega-?
When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, mega- becomes meg-, as in megohm.
Mega- is a variant of megalo- and megal-, as in megalomania and megalopsia. Learn more about their specific applications in our Words That Use articles.
Examples of mega-
A word you may have encountered that features the combining form mega- is megalith, “a stone of great size, especially in ancient construction work, as the Cyclopean masonry, or in prehistoric Neolithic remains, as dolmens or menhirs.” Some of the most well-known megaliths in the world can be found at Stonehenge.
The mega- part of the word means “large,” as we know. The second part of the word, -lith, means “stone,” from the Greek líthos. Megalith literally translates to “large stone.”
What are some words that use the combining form mega-?
- megabacterium
- megabit
- megabyte
- megacephaly
- megachurch
- megacity
- megadeath
- megadont
- megaesophagus
- megafauna
- megaflop
- megagamete
- megahertz
- megahit
- megajoule
- megakaryocyte
- megalitre
- megapixel
- megaplex
- megaphyll
- megaparsec
- megapolis
- megascopic
- megasporangium
- megastructure
- megaton
- megavolt
What are some other forms that mega- may be commonly confused with?
Not every word that begins with the exact letters mega- or meg- is necessarily using the combining form mega- to denote “large,” e.g., megillah, megilp, or megass. Learn where these words come from and what they mean at our entries.