Prefix · time · temporal order
Means "time": chronology, chronic, synchronize, anachronism, chronicle.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Chron- (also chrono-) comes from the Greek chronos, which means "time". It appears in vocabulary about history, medicine, science and technology. All words with this prefix have to do with time: its order, its length or its measurement.
Notice that "chronic" is used in medicine for something that lasts a long time, and also in daily life for something that keeps happening all the time, like a chronic complaint. Chron- and chrono- are the same prefix: the shorter form usually appears before a vowel and the longer one before a consonant.
Combines with Greek roots to indicate a relationship with time:
Pronunciation: /krɒn/. The "ch" is pronounced /k/.
chron-/krɒn/
Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
In medicine, "chronic" (chron- = time): a condition persisting for three months or more — chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic disease. "Acute" (Latin "acutus" = sharp): sudden, intense onset with a shorter course — acute appendicitis, acute pain. A chronic disease can have acute episodes (flare-ups).
A trick to remember it
Think of a chronometer, a watch that measures time exactly: chron- = time. chronology, chronic.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
What is the difference between "chronic" and "acute" pain?
The prefix chron- means "time": chronology, chronic, synchronize, anachronism, chronicle.
The prefix chron- is pronounced /krɒn/. For example, "chronology".
"ology" becomes "chronology". It is a typical example of the chron- prefix.
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