The prefix AD- most nearly means...

• A. to, toward, near
• B. outside
• C. in, into, on, against, over
• D. after

Answer: (A)

Think about how prefixes add direction to a word’s meaning. AD- mainly signals movement toward or near. This comes from Latin ad-, meaning toward. You can see it in words like adapt (to fit toward a new use), advance (to move toward something), and adjacent (lying near). That directional sense is why “to, toward, near” is the best match for AD-. Other directional cues come from different prefixes—outside is usually ex- or out-, in/into/on/against/over come from in-, en-, on-, against-, over-, and after is often post-—so they don’t fit AD- as closely.