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Prefix · cybernetic / internet

cyber-

Signals relation to computer systems or the internet: cybersecurity, cyberspace, cybercrime.

Scientific

Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated

What does the prefix cyber- mean?

Cyber- comes from the Greek kybernetes, which means "steersman", the one who controls the ship. From it came the word cybernetics, the science of control in machines and living things. Today cyber- is used for everything related to computers, the internet and the digital world.

One of the newest prefixes in English

Cyber- is one of the prefixes growing fastest in the twenty-first century: every time something happens online and needs a name, it very likely carries cyber-. It can describe places, crimes, security and even behavior, all connected through the internet.

How it is used

Attaches to nouns:

  • cyber- + digital domain/concept
    space → cyberspacesecurity → cybersecuritycrime → cybercrimeattack → cyberattack
  • cyber- + digital behaviour/entity
    bullying → cyberbullyingcafe → cybercafewarfare → cyberwarfarestalking → cyberstalking

Pronunciation: /ˈsaɪbər/.

How it is pronounced

cyber-/ˈsaɪbər/

Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.

Examples

  • spacecyberspace1980s sci-fi writers imagined cyberspace as a virtual world inside computers.
  • securitycybersecurityThe company invested in cybersecurity after a major data breach.
  • crimecybercrimeCybercrime is now one of the fastest-growing categories of criminal activity.
  • attackcyberattackA ransomware cyberattack knocked the hospital's systems offline.
  • bullyingcyberbullyingSchools teach students how to recognise and report cyberbullying.
  • warfarecyberwarfareGovernments are building cyberwarfare capabilities to defend critical infrastructure.
  • orgcyborgSome argue that anyone with a pacemaker technically qualifies as a cyborg.

Common mistakes

cyber- is only used to talk about hackers and crime
cyber- applies to anything related to computer systems, networks, or the digital world

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 = a completely artificial robot
cyborg = a biological organism with integrated cybernetic components (part biological, part mechanical)

"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

Think of the online world: cyber- = relating to computers and the internet. cybersecurity, cyberspace.

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Form the word

The hospital's systems were knocked offline by a ransomware ___, forcing staff to revert to paper records.

Hint: cyber- + attack = ?

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"?

Frequently asked questions

What does the prefix cyber- mean in English?

The prefix cyber- signals relation to computer systems or the internet: cybersecurity, cyberspace, cybercrime.

How do you pronounce cyber-?

The prefix cyber- is pronounced /ˈsaɪbər/. For example, "cyberspace".

Can you give an example of a word with cyber-?

"space" becomes "cyberspace". It is a typical example of the cyber- prefix.

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