ex-

See also ex, and -ex

English

Alternative forms

• ef- (before f), e.g. effective
• ec- (before c), e.g. eccentric
• e-, e.g. egregious

Etymology

From Middle English from words borrowed from Middle French; from Latin ex- (“out of, from”), from Proto-Indo-European *eǵ-, *eǵs- (“out”), *eǵʰs. Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐξ (eks, “out of, from”), Transalpine Gaulish ex- (“out”), Old Irish ess- (“out”), Old Church Slavonic изу (izu, “out”), Russian из (iz, “from, out of”).

Prefix

ex-

1. out of

   extract, expel, except, expression

2. outside

   exterior, ex-directory

3. former, but still living (almost always used with a hyphen)

   ex-husband, ex-president , ex-wife

4. (biology) Lacking.

   excaudate, exstipulate

Usage notes

• Sometimes the x in ex- is elided before certain constants, being reduced to e- (as, e.g., in ejaculate).

Derived terms

• exert
• exsert protrude
• ex-con
• ex-directory
• ex-husband
• ex-wife
• ex-girlfriend

Translations

former

• Esperanto: eks- (eo)

See also

[+] English words prefixed with ex-

See also

• e-
• ex
• exo-
• extra-

---

Spanish

Noun

ex-

1. ex- (former)

Derived terms

[+] Spanish words prefixed with ex-

---

Swedish

Prefix

ex-

1. ex-, former, past

Derived terms

[+] Swedish words prefixed with ex-