epi-

epi- prefix: above in location or position.

Prefix

epi-

Above in location or position.
- epi- + littoral → epilittoral
- epi- + nasal → epinasal
Synonyms:

on-, en-, hyper-, super-, supra-, sur-
Upon, atop, directly on top of in terms of position.
- epi- + benthos → epibenthos
- epi- + petro + -ic → epipetric
Relating to epigenetics.
- epi- + chromosomal → epichromosomal
- epi- + clone → epiclone
Secondary: a consequence, by-product, additional, or lesser version.
- epi- + language → epilanguage
- epi- + phenomenon → epiphenomenon
A part or segment that is located on the upper part of an object.
- epi- + karst → epikarst
- epi- + phase → epiphase
A part or location that is outer, particularly an outer layer.
- epi- + dermis → epidermis
- epi- + pleuron → epipleuron
Denotes an epimeric form.
- epi- + cedrol → epicedrol
- epi- + cholesterol → epicholesterol
Located on the surface.
- epi- + fascial → epifascial
- epi- + -limnion → epilimnion
Epibiotic: an organism that lives on another organism.
- epi- + parasitism → epiparasitism
- epi- + symbiont → episymbiont
Outward in direction or projection.
- epi- + -gnathous → epignathous
- epi- + nasty → epinasty
More, above a usual quantity, additional in quantity.
- epi- + cadmium → epicadmium
- epi- + demic → epidemic
Beyond, meta, transcending.
- epi- + muscular → epimuscular
- epi- + language → epilanguage

Show 15 more meaningsShow fewer meanings

Epidemiology
- epi- + zootic → epizootic
- epi- + ornith- + -ic → epornitic
Near in position.
- epi- + cellular → epicellular
- epi- + stellar → epistellar
Outranking, above in rank.
- epi- + family → epifamily
- epi- + phyletic → epiphyletic
Surrounding in position: the edges of the root entity.
- epi- + fascicular → epifascicular
- epi- + macular → epimacular
Covering: the root entity is covered.
- epi- + glottis → epiglottis
- epi- + spore → epispore
After in time.
- epi- + classical → epiclassical
- epi- + genesis → epigenesis
Overlapping in position.
- epi- + lobous → epilobous
- epi- + pharynx → epipharynx
Mapping onto, passing along, resolving to.
- epi- + morphism → epimorphism
- epi- + plexis → epiplexis
Top: a part that is positioned at the uppermost of multiple levels.
- epi- + pelagic → epipelagic
- epi- + plankton → epiplankton
Front or anterior in position.
- epi- + cnemial → epicnemial
- epi- + plastron → epiplastron
Entirety, a system being referred to as a whole.
- epi- + chaperome → epichaperome
- epi- + organism → epiorganism
Outside of in position.
- epi- + dural → epidural
- epi- + skeletal → episkeletal
Shallow in depth.
- epi- + thermal → epithermal
- epi- + cortex → epicortex
Similar, in the same form of, resembling.
- epi- + morphic → epimorphic
- epi- + ascidiate → epiascidiate
Upwards in direction or growth.
- epi- + phallus → epiphallus
- epi- + film → epifilm

Examples of epi- in a sentence

epi- + necral → epinecral
epi- + spinal → epispinal
epi- + genome → epigenome
epi- + toxoid → epitoxoid
epi- + sternum → episternum
epi- + trochlea → epitrochlea

Synonyms of epi-

All synonyms of epi-

Forms of epi-

alternative before-vowel	ep-

Origin of epi-

Derived from Ancient Greek ἐπῐ- (epĭ-), from ἐπί (epí).

Questions about epi-

What does epi- mean?: Epi- means above in location or position.
How do you use epi- in a sentence?: epi- + necral → epinecral
What part of speech is epi-?: Epi- is a prefix.

Words near epi- in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: epi- (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-epi-.wav.

Cite this entry: “epi-.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/epi-. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.