A prefix from Latin de down, from, away; as in debark, decline, decease, deduct, decamp. In words from the French it is equivalent to Latin dis-apart, away; or sometimes to de. Cf. Dis-. It is negative and opposite in derange, deform, destroy, etc. It is intensive in deprave, despoil, declare, desolate, etc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). de-. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/de-/definitions/1994647 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "de-" http://smartdefine.org/de-/definitions/1994647 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, de-, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/de-/definitions/1994647>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "de-" 27 May 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/de-/definitions/1994647> |