What do the prefixes SYM and SYN mean?

What do the prefixes SYM and SYN mean?

• A. Across
• B. Together, With
• C. Killing
• D. Shape

Answer: (B)

SYM- and SYN- come from the Greek syn-, meaning with or together. They indicate putting things together or happening in unison. In medical and scientific terms you’ll see this idea in symmetry (balanced, same parts), sympathy (feeling with someone), synchronize (do at the same time), synthesis (put together), and symbiosis (living together). The form sym- appears before labial consonants like p, b, or m, which is why you often see sym- rather than syn- in words such as symmetry or Symphony. So the meaning conveyed by these prefixes is “Together, With.”

SYM- and SYN- come from the Greek syn-, meaning with or together. They indicate putting things together or happening in unison. In medical and scientific terms you’ll see this idea in symmetry (balanced, same parts), sympathy (feeling with someone), synchronize (do at the same time), synthesis (put together), and symbiosis (living together). The form sym- appears before labial consonants like p, b, or m, which is why you often see sym- rather than syn- in words such as symmetry or Symphony. So the meaning conveyed by these prefixes is “Together, With.”