---
title: "-megaly — Elementary Latin Suffix Definition & Guide"
description: "-megaly is a Greek-derived suffix meaning 'enlargement,' used in medical terms like hepatomegaly and cardiomegaly. Learn how it works and why Latin/Greek roots matter."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/megaly"
type: "key-term"
subject: "Elementary Latin"
unit: "Unit 11"
---

# -megaly — Elementary Latin Suffix Definition & Guide

## Definition

In medical terminology, '-megaly' is a suffix from Greek meaning 'enlargement' or 'abnormal increase in size,' attached to a root naming an organ (as in hepatomegaly, enlargement of the liver).

## What It Is

'-megaly' is a suffix that comes from the Greek word *megas* (meaning 'great' or 'large'). When you tack it onto a root that names a body part, it signals that the organ has grown abnormally large. So if you can spot the root before it, you can decode the whole word.

In Elementary Latin, you meet '-megaly' under the unit on Latin (and Greek) roots in medical terminology. Even though this particular suffix is Greek rather than Latin, the course teaches Greek and Latin together because they're the two building-block languages behind almost all Western medical vocabulary. The point is pattern recognition: once you know '-megaly' means enlargement, words like *splenomegaly* and *cardiomegaly* stop looking like random jargon.

## Why It Matters

This suffix lives in Topic 11.5, Latin roots in medical terminology. The goal there isn't to make you a doctor, it's to show you that knowing root words lets you crack open long, unfamiliar terms. '-megaly' is a clean example: a single suffix that turns any organ root into a diagnosis of 'this thing got bigger.' It also teaches an important nuance from that unit, which is that Greek tends to own the anatomical and pathological terms (like '-megaly') while Latin owns the pharmaceutical and procedural ones.

## Connections

### Hepatomegaly (Unit 11)

This is '-megaly' plus the root for liver, so it literally means 'enlarged liver.' It's the textbook example for showing how the suffix combines with an organ root.

### Cardiomegaly (Unit 11)

Here '-megaly' joins the Greek *kardia* (heart). Same suffix, different organ, which is exactly the pattern Topic 11.5 wants you to recognize.

### Splenomegaly (Unit 11)

Adding '-megaly' to the root for spleen gives enlargement of the spleen. Three examples (liver, heart, spleen) prove the suffix behaves the same way every time.

### gastr- (Unit 11)

This root means stomach and shows the other half of word-building: roots name the body part, suffixes like '-megaly' tell you what's happening to it.

## On the AP Exam

In Elementary Latin you'll see '-megaly' on vocabulary quizzes and root-decoding exercises tied to the medical terminology topic. A typical task gives you a word like *splenomegaly* and asks you to break it into root plus suffix and define it from those parts. You might also be asked to build the word yourself when given a definition, or to sort a list of suffixes by whether they came from Greek or Latin. The skill being tested is decoding unfamiliar terms from their pieces, not memorizing every word individually.

## Key Takeaways

- '-megaly' is a suffix from Greek *megas* meaning 'great,' and in medicine it signals abnormal enlargement of an organ.
- You read these words back to front: identify the organ root, then add 'enlargement,' so hepatomegaly means enlarged liver.
- Even though it's Greek, you learn it in Latin class because Greek and Latin together form the base of medical vocabulary.
- Greek roots like '-megaly' dominate anatomical and pathological terms, while Latin dominates drug and procedure names.
- The course skill is decoding any unfamiliar term from its parts, not memorizing each medical word separately.

## FAQs

### What does -megaly mean?

It's a suffix from the Greek word *megas* ('great' or 'large') that means enlargement or abnormal increase in size, usually of an organ. For example, cardiomegaly means an enlarged heart.

### Is -megaly Latin or Greek?

It's Greek, from *megas*. You study it in Latin class because the course covers both Greek and Latin roots, since both languages built modern medical vocabulary together.

### How is -megaly different from a root like gastr-?

A root like gastr- names a body part (the stomach), while '-megaly' is a suffix that tells you what's happening to it. You combine the two, so 'gastromegaly' would mean an enlarged stomach.

### Does -megaly always mean something is wrong?

Usually yes, it points to abnormal enlargement that may signal a health problem, but some cases are reversible with treatment while others indicate chronic disease. In Latin class, though, you only need to know it means 'enlargement.'

### What's an example of a word using -megaly?

Hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), and cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) all use the suffix. They're the standard examples for showing how it attaches to an organ root.

## Related Study Guides

- [11.5 Latin roots in medical terminology](/elementary-latin/unit-11/latin-roots-medical-terminology/study-guide/M2kK7dpnEOa0E3GK)

## About This Document

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