ex-

See also: ex, Ex, ex., and -ex

English

Alternative forms

• ef- (before f), e.g. effective
• ec- (before c), e.g. eccentric
• e-, e.g. egregious

Etymology

From Middle English, from words borrowed from Middle French; from Latin ex (“out of, from”), from Proto-Indo-European *eǵ-, *eǵs- (“out”), *eǵʰs. Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐξ (ex, “out of, from”), Transalpine Gaulish ex- (“out”), Old Irish ess- (“out”), Old Church Slavonic изъ (izŭ, “out”), Russian из (iz, “from, out of”).

Prefix

ex-

1. out of

   extract, expel, except, expression, exclusion

2. outside

   exterior, ex-directory

3. former, but still living (almost always used with a hyphen)

   ex-husband, ex-president, ex-wife

4. (biology) Lacking.

   excaudate, exstipulate

Synonyms

• (former): then-

Antonyms

• in-, im-

Usage notes

• Sometimes the x in ex- is elided before certain constants, being reduced to e- (as, e.g., in ejaculate).

Derived terms

• ex-con
• ex-directory
• ex-girlfriend
• ex-husband
• exsert
• ex-wife

 

Translations

former

• Catalan: ex- (ca)
• Danish: eks-
• Dutch: ex- (nl)
• Esperanto: eks- (eo)
• Estonian: endine (et)
• French: ex- (fr)
• German: ex- (de), Ex- (de)
• Greek: πρώην (el) (próin)

  Ancient: γενόμενος (genómenos)

• Ido: ex-

• Japanese: 前 (ja) (zen-), 旧 (ja) (kyū-), 元 (ja) (moto-)
• Khmer: អតីត (km) (ʼaʼdət)
• Korean: 전 (ko) (jeon)
• Persian: اکس‎ (eks-)
• Polish: eks- (pl)
• Portuguese: ex- (pt)
• Russian: экс- (eks-)
• Spanish: ex- (es)
• Swedish: ex- (sv)

See also

English words prefixed with ex-

See also

• e-
• ex
• exo-
• extra-

Anagrams

• XE, xe

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Czech

Prefix

ex-

1. ex- (former)

Derived terms

Czech words prefixed with ex-

Further reading

• ex- in Slovník afixů užívaných v češtině, 2017

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Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French ex-, from Latin ex-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛks/

Prefix

ex-

1. ex- (former, but still living)

Derived terms

• ex

Dutch words prefixed with ex-

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Italian

Prefix

ex-

1. ex-

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Latin

Alternative forms

• ē- (before b, d, g, j, l, m, n, r, or v)
• ec-, ef- (before f)

Etymology

The preposition ex, ē used in combination.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /eks/, [ɛks̠]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /eks/, [ɛks]

Prefix

ex-

1. out, away

   ‎ē- + ‎veniō → ‎ēveniō

   ‎ex- + ‎clāmō → ‎exclāmō

   ‎ex- + ‎eō → ‎exeō

2. throughout

   ‎ē- + ‎dormiō → ‎ēdormiō

   ‎ē- + ‎pōtō → ‎ēpōtō

4. (intensive) thoroughly

   ‎ē- + ‎dūrus → ‎ēdūrō

   ‎ex- + ‎acuō → ‎exacuō

5. denoting achievement

   ‎ex- + ‎ōrō → ‎exōrō

   ‎ex- + ‎pugnō → ‎expugnō

6. up

   ‎ex- + ‎aggerō → ‎exaggerō

   ‎ex- + ‎struō → ‎exstruō

7. denoting privation

   ‎ex- + ‎anima → ‎exanimō

   ‎ex- + ‎sanguis → ‎exsanguis

Derived terms

Latin words prefixed with ex-

Descendants

• French: é-
• Italian: s-, es-
• Old Occitan: [Term?]
  • Occitan: es-
• Portuguese: es-, ex-
• Spanish: es-

References

• “ex-” on pages 629–630 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)

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Middle English

Alternative forms

• ef- (before f)

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Prefix

ex-

1. privation

   ‎ef- + ‎flouren → ‎efflouren

Derived terms

Middle English words prefixed with ex-

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin ex.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈe(j)s/, /ˈe(j)ʃ/
• Homophones: ex, -ês, Es (without /j/), eis (with /j/)

Prefix

ex-

1. ex- (former)

Derived terms

• ex

Portuguese words prefixed with ex-

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin ex.

Prefix

ex-

1. ex- (former)

Derived terms

Spanish words prefixed with ex-

Further reading

• “ex-” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

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Swedish

Prefix

ex-

1. ex-, former, past

Derived terms

Swedish words prefixed with ex-