Which meaning corresponds to the suffix -an?

• A. Pain
• B. Without
• C. Pertaining to
• D. Disease

Answer: (B)

Suffixes in medical terminology modify the root to show what the term is describing—a condition, a quality, or a state. The suffix -an here is used to convey absence or lack, i.e., without. That makes it the best fit for the meaning “without.” You’ll encounter other suffix meanings in different contexts, such as -algia for pain or -itis for inflammation/disease, or -al/-ar for “pertaining to.” But in this item, -an is teaching the negation sense, so it aligns with without.