Which of the following defines pre-?

• A. After
• B. Near
• C. Prolapse
• D. In front of, before

Answer: (D)

Pre- is a prefix that means before or prior to. It signals that something happens earlier or lies in front of something else. In medical and anatomical terms, you see it in words like prenatal (before birth) or preoperative (before surgery). That makes “in front of, before” the best choice here, since it directly reflects the sense of before or ahead of something that pre- conveys. The option meaning after describes the opposite (usually with post-), near isn’t a standard prefix meaning pre-, and prolapse is a condition name, not a prefix meaning.