Intra- | Meaning Of Prefix Intra- By Etymonline

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Origin and history of intra-

intra-

word-forming element meaning "within, inside, on the inside," from Latin preposition intra "on the inside, within, in, into;" of time, "during, in the course of," related to inter "between," from PIE *en-t(e)ro-, from root *en "in." Commonly opposed to extra-, and compare inter-. The use of intra as a prefix was rare in classical Latin.

Entries linking to intra-

intra-cellular(adj.)

also intracellular, "existing or happening inside a cell," 1842; see intra- "within" + cellular.

intra-genic(adj.)

also intragenic, "occurring within a gene," 1937, from intra- "within" + gene + -ic.

• intramercurial
• intramural
• intramuscular
• intra-ocular
• intra-orbital
• intra-ovarian
• intra-peritoneal
• intra-personal
• intra-psychic
• intraspecific
• intra-uterine
• intravenous
• intrinsic
• *en
• extra-
• inter-
• See All Related Words (18)

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intramercurial"being within the orbit of the planet Mercury," 1859, especially in reference to a supposed planet orbiting there (sought in vain in the eclipse of 1860), from intra- "within, inside" + Mercury (Latin Mercurius) + -al (1). The idea originated in France in the 1840s with Urbain Leintrinsiclate 15c., "interior, inward, internal," from Old French intrinsèque "inner" (14c.), from Medieval Latin intrinsecus "interior, internal," from Latin intrinsecus (adv.) "inwardly, on the inside," from intra "within" (see intra-) + secus "along, alongside," from PIE *sekw-os- "folenterenter upon, assume; initiate," from Latin intrare "to go into, enter" (source of Spanish entrar, Italian entrare), from intra...atomicAtomic energy is recorded by 1906 in the modern sense (as intra-atomic energy from 1903)....plumbearly 14c., "a mass of lead hung on a string to show the vertical line" (mid-14c. as "the metal lead"), from Old French *plombe, plomee "sounding lead," and directly from Late Latin *plumba, originally plural of Latin plumbum "lead (the metal), lead ball; pipe; pencil," a word ofcultivateby 1650s, of land, "till, prepare for crops;" by 1690s of crops, "raise or produce by tillage;" from Medieval Latin cultivatus, past participle of cultivare "to cultivate," from Late Latin cultivus "tilled," from Latin cultus "care, labor; cultivation," from past participle of coconfer1530s, "examine by comparison;" 1540s (intransitive) "consult together on some special subject;" 1560s, "bestow as a gift or permanent possession," from Old French conférer (14c.) "to give; to converse; to compare," from Latin conferre "to bring together," figuratively "to compartanglemid-14c., tanglen, "encumber, enmesh, knit together confusedly," a shortening of entangle in some cases, in others probably a nasalized variant of tagilen "to involve in a difficult situation, entangle," from a Scandinavian source (compare dialectal Swedish taggla "to disorder," idleOld English idel "empty, void; vain; worthless, useless," from Proto-West Germanic *idla- (source also of Old Saxon idal, Old Frisian idel "empty, worthless," Old Dutch idil, Old High German ital, German eitel "vain, useless, mere, pure"), a word of unknown origin. Subsequent devsacredlate 14c., "hallowed, consecrated, or made holy by association with divinity or divine things or by religious ceremony or sanction," past-participle adjective from a now-obsolete verb sacren "to make holy" (c. 1200), from Old French sacrer "consecrate, anoint, dedicate" (12c.) or

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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/intra-CopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/intra-">Etymology of intra- by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of intra-. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved January 6, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/intra-CopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of intra-," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed January 6, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/intra-.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of intra-." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/intra-. Accessed 6 January, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of intra-." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/intra- (accessed January 6, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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TrendingDictionary entries near intra-

• intone
• intoxicant
• intoxicate
• intoxicated
• intoxication
• intra-
• intra-cellular
• intractability
• intractable
• intra-genic
• intramercurial

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