Affix
/ˈæfɪks/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo attach or fasten securely.
/əˈfɪks/
To attach or fasten something.
He affixed the poster to the wall.
💡 Simply: To stick something on.
More Examples
The label was affixed to the product.
How It's Used
"In linguistics, prefixes and suffixes are affixed to words to alter their meaning."
"She affixed the stamp to the envelope."
A morpheme attached to a word stem to modify its meaning or function.
/ˈæfɪks/
A word, letter, or number placed before or after another.
The prefix 'un-' is an affix.
💡 Simply: A part added to the beginning or end of a word.
More Examples
Affixes can change the tense or part of speech of a word.
How It's Used
"Prefixes and suffixes are types of affixes."
From Latin *affixus, past participle of affigere "to attach", from ad- "to" + figere "to fix, fasten".
The word has maintained its core meaning of attachment throughout its history, evolving from its Latin roots.
Memory tip
Think of 'fix' – affixing something means making it fixed or attached.
Word Origin
"to attach"