What does the prefix Ab- denote?

What does the prefix Ab- denote?

• A. Away from
• B. Before
• C. Against
• D. With

Answer: (A)

The prefix ab- denotes away from. It comes from Latin and is used to signal separation or removal, so you see it in words like abduct (carry away), abstain (hold away from doing something), and abnormal (deviating away from what’s normal). That alignment makes “Away from” the best match. Other directions use different prefixes: ante- for before, contra- for against, and cum- (or con-) for with.

The prefix ab- denotes away from. It comes from Latin and is used to signal separation or removal, so you see it in words like abduct (carry away), abstain (hold away from doing something), and abnormal (deviating away from what’s normal). That alignment makes “Away from” the best match. Other directions use different prefixes: ante- for before, contra- for against, and cum- (or con-) for with.