affix meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

affix

noun

/ˈæf.ɪks/

Etymology Borrowed from Latin affixus, perfect passive participle of affigere (from ad- + figere). By surface analysis, af- + fix.

Human sciences, Linguistic morphology, Linguistics, Morphology, Sciences A bound morpheme added to a word’s stem, such as a prefix or suffix.

A prefix is an affix that joins to the beginning of another word. Depending on the prefix, it can slightly or significantly alter the meaning of a word. For example, the English prefix “un-” changes a word into its opposite, as from “do” to “undo,” altering its meaning entirely.2020 March 14, Lindsay del Valle, “36 Spanish Prefixes That Will Increase Your Vocabulary Times 100!”, in Homeschool Spanish Academy, archived from the original on 15 Aug 2025:

Uncommon That which is affixed; an appendage.

Mathematics, Sciences The complex number a+bi associated with the point in the Gauss plane with coordinates (a,b).

Any small feature, as a figure, a flower, or the like, added for ornament to a vessel or other utensil, to an architectural feature.

Derived terms: affixal, affixation, affixhood, affixive, affixoid, separable affix
Coordinate terms: clitic

verb

/əˈfɪks/

Etymology Borrowed from Latin affixus, perfect passive participle of affigere (from ad- + figere). By surface analysis, af- + fix.

To attach.

2 more examples

Should they [caterpillars] affix them to the leaves of a plant improper for their food […]1691, John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […], →OCLC:
On a recent afternoon a work crew and crane were affixing the tall lettering to the side of the team’s new stadium, just off the autobahn in Sinsheim, a few miles from Hoffenheim.2009 January 22, Nicholas Kulish, “Soccer Titan Raises Profile of Tiny Village”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2022:

To subjoin, annex, or add at the close or end; to append to.

1 more example

To fix or fasten figuratively.

With on or upon

eyes affixed upon the ground
Look thou no further, but affix thine eye/On that bright, shiny, round, still moving mass,/The house of blessed gods, which men call sky,/All sow'd with glist'ring stars more thick than grass...1596, Edmund Spenser, An Hymn of Heavenly Beauty: