Ex-

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").

Full definition of ex-

Prefix

1. out ofextract, expel, except, expression, exclusion
2. outsideexterior, ex-directory
3. former, but still living almost always used with a hyphenex-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