Com- | Meaning Of Prefix Com- By Etymonline

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZAdvertisementRemove Ads

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Origin and history of com-

com-

word-forming element usually meaning "with, together," from Latin com, archaic form of classical Latin cum "together, together with, in combination," from PIE *kom- "beside, near, by, with" (compare Old English ge-, German ge-). The prefix in Latin sometimes was used as an intensive.

Before vowels and aspirates, it is reduced to co-; before -g-, it is assimilated to cog- or con-; before -l-, assimilated to col-; before -r-, assimilated to cor-; before -c-, -d-, -j-, -n-, -q-, -s-, -t-, and -v-, it is assimilated to con-, which was so frequent that it often was used as the normal form.

Entries linking to com-

ab urbe condita

with year-dates, an occasional Roman method of identifying a given year by reference to the time passed since founding of the city, which in 1c. B.C.E. was calculated to have taken place in what we would call 753 B.C.E. Literally "from the city founded;" the elements are ab "from" (see ab-) + ablative of urbs "city" (see urban) + fem. past participle of condere "put together, store," from assimilated form of com- "together" (see com-) + -dere "put" (from PIE root *dhe- "to put, place").

abscond(v.)

"depart suddenly and secretly," especially to escape debt or the law, 1560s, from French abscondre "to hide" and directly from Latin abscondere "to hide, conceal, put out of sight," from assimilated form of ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + condere "put together, store," from assimilated form of com- "together" (see com-) + -dere "put" (from PIE root *dhe- "to put, place"). Related: Absconded; absconder; absconding.

• accommodate
• accomplice
• accomplish
• accoucheur
• account
• accouter
• coetaneous
• coeval
• cognomen
• coincide
• coincidence
• coincident
• collaboration
• collaborator
• collapse
• collate
• collateral
• colleague
• See All Related Words (216)

Advertisement

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

More to explore

accommodate1530s, "fit one thing to another," from Latin accomodatus "suitable, fit, appropriate to," past participle of accomodare "make fit, make fit for, adapt, fit one thing to another," from ad "to" (see ad-) + commodare "make fit," from commodus ""proper, fit, appropriate, convenient,accomplice"associate in crime," 1580s, an unetymological extension of earlier complice "an associate or confederate" (early 15c.), from Old French complice "a confederate, partner" (not in a criminal sense), from Late Latin complicem (nominative complex) "partner, confederate," from Latin accomplishlate 14c., "fulfill, perform, carry out an undertaking," from Old French acompliss-, present-participle stem of acomplir "to fulfill, fill up, complete" (12c., Modern French accomplir), from Vulgar Latin *accomplere, from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + complere "to fill up," transferrcongruitysuitable, agreeing," from congruere "to agree, correspond with," literally "to come together," from assimilated form of com...consequentnominative consequens) "following, consequent," present participle of consequi "to follow after," from assimilated form of com...consecutionnominative consecutio), noun of action from past-participle stem of consequi "to follow after," from assimilated form of com...constrictionpast-participle stem of constringere "to bind together, tie tightly, fetter, shackle, chain," from assimilated form of com...luxuryc. 1300, "sexual intercourse;" mid-14c., "lasciviousness, sinful self-indulgence;" late 14c., "sensual pleasure," from Old French luxurie "debauchery, dissoluteness, lust" (12c., Modern French luxure), from Latin luxuria "excess, extravagant living, profusion; delicacy" (source aexposeearly 15c., "to leave without shelter or defense," from Old French esposer, exposer "lay open, set forth, speak one's mind, explain" (13c.), from Latin exponere "set forth, lay open, exhibit, reveal, publish," from ex "from, forth" (see ex-) + ponere "to put, place" (see positionoligarchy"form of government in which supreme power is vested in a small exclusive class," 1570s, from French oligarchie (14c.), from Latinized form of Greek oligarkhia "government by the few," from stem of oligos "few, small, little" (a word of uncertain origin) + -arkhia, from arkhein "

Share com-

‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/com-CopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/com-">Etymology of com- by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of com-. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved March 9, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/com-CopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of com-," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed March 9, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/com-.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of com-." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/com-. Accessed 9 March, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of com-." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/com- (accessed March 9, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

TrendingDictionary entries near com-

• columbine
• Columbus
• column
• columnar
• columnist
• com-
• coma
• Comanche
• comatose
• comb
• combat

AdvertisementClose

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Close