The prefix that means before or in front of is which?

• A. Pre-
• B. Post-
• C. Dys-
• D. Endo-

Answer: (A)

Think about how medical terms are built from small word parts to convey meaning. The prefix that means before, in time or order, and can also signal being in front of something, is pre-. It shows up in prenatal (before birth) and preoperative (before surgery), and in anatomy it can describe a position in front of another structure, like prefrontal meaning in front of the frontal region. The other prefixes point to different ideas: post- means after, dys- means bad or difficult, and endo- means inside. So pre- best fits the idea of “before or in front of.”