| a prefix of Latin origin, corresponding to English un-, having a negative or privative force, freely used as an English formative, esp. of adjectives and their derivatives and of nouns (inattention; indefensible; inexpensive; inorganic; invariable). It assumes the same phonetic phases as in- 2 (impartial; immeasurable; illiterate; irregular, etc.). In French, it became en- and thus occurs unfelt in such words as enemy (French ennemi, Latin inimicus, lit., not friendly). |
| en- 1 or em- or in- pref.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin in-, in; see en in Indo-European roots.] |
| in- 1 or il- or im- or ir- pref. Not: inarticulate. Before l, in- is usually assimilated to il-; before r to ir-; and before b, m, and p to im-. See Usage Note at un-1. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin; see ne in Indo-European roots.] |
| in- 2 or il- or im- or ir- pref.
[Middle English, from Old English (from in, in; see in1) and from Old French (from Latin, from in, in, within; see en in Indo-European roots).] |
in- 1 or il- or im- or ir-
pref.
Not: invertebrate.
in- 2 or il- or im- or ir-
pref.
In; into; within: intubation.