En-

//ɛn-// prefix

prefix ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Prefix
  1. 1
    Forms a transitive verb whose meaning is to make the attached adjective; in, into morpheme

    "embathe, enquire, enlist"

  2. 2
    Forms a transitive verb whose meaning is to make the attached adjective; on, onto morpheme

    "embark, enplane, enthrone"

  3. 3
    Forms a transitive verb whose meaning is to make the attached adjective; covered by morpheme

    "enclothe, embalm, enseam"

  4. 4
    to become morpheme

    "enslave, embetter, engloom"

  5. 5
    provide with morpheme

    "empower"

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  1. 6
    an intensifier morpheme

    "entangle, enwisen, enhance"

Synonyms

All synonyms
emendendoentoepihyper

Etymology

From Middle English en- (“en-, in-”). Originally from Old French en- (also an-), from Latin in- (“in, into”) and Frankish *in-, *int-, *anda-; but also from an alteration of in-, from Middle English in-, from Old English in- (“in, into”), from Proto-Germanic *in (“in”). Both the Latin and the Germanic forms are from Proto-Indo-European *en (“in, into”). Intensive use of Old French en-, an- is due to confluence with Frankish *an- and *in- (intensive prefixes), related to Old English on- and in- (intensive prefixes). More at in-, on-.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.