Prefix · cybernetic / internet
Signals relation to computer systems or the internet: cybersecurity, cyberspace, cybercrime.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Cyber- comes from Greek "kybernetes" (steersman, the one who controls) via "cybernetics" (the science of control and communication in living systems and machines). Today cyber- signals a relation to computer systems, internet, or the digital world: cyberspace = the virtual space of the internet; cybersecurity = the security of computer systems; cybercrime = crime committed in digital environments.
Cyber- is one of the most productive prefixes of the twenty-first century: cyberattack, cyberbullying, cybercafe, cyborg (a contraction of "cybernetic organism"). Spanish equivalent is "ciber-": ciberseguridad, ciberespacio, ciberataque. "Cyber" alone is used informally in English to refer to anything internet-related.
Attaches to nouns. Spanish equivalent is "ciber-":
Pronunciation: /ˈsaɪbər/. Spanish uses "ciber-." "Cyber" alone is used informally in English to mean anything internet- or computer-related.
cyber-/ˈsaɪbər/
Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
Although cybercrime and cyberattack are common, cyber- covers any digital context: cybercafe, cyberspace, cybersecurity (defence, not attack), cyberbullying, cyborg. The prefix itself has no inherently negative connotation.
"Cyborg" is a contraction of "cybernetic organism." A cyborg has both biological and mechanical or electronic parts. A robot is purely artificial. By the original definition, a person with an implanted pacemaker or electronic prosthesis is technically a cyborg.
A trick to remember it
Cyber- = "ciber-" in Spanish: cybersecurity = ciberseguridad, cyberspace = ciberespacio, cybercrime = ciberdelito. It is one of the newest and most productive prefixes in modern English. Fun fact: "cyborg" is a contraction of "cybernetic organism" — part biological, part machine.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"___ refers to online harassment where someone uses digital platforms to intimidate or humiliate others."
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
What exactly is a "cyborg"?
The prefix cyber- signals relation to computer systems or the internet: cybersecurity, cyberspace, cybercrime. In Spanish it usually maps to ciber-.
The prefix cyber- is pronounced /ˈsaɪbər/. For example, "cyberspace".
"space" becomes "cyberspace". It is a typical example of the cyber- prefix.
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