ana

1 of 5

adverb

ˈa-nə How to pronounce ana (audio)
Synonyms of ananext
: of each an equal quantity
—used in writing prescriptions

ana

2 of 5

noun

ˈa-nə How to pronounce ana (audio) ˈä- How to pronounce ana (audio)
ˈā-
plural ana or anas
1
: a collection of the memorable sayings of a person
2
: a collection of anecdotes or interesting information about a person or a place

ANA

3 of 5

abbreviation

American Nurses Association

ana-

4 of 5

prefix

variants or an-
1
: up : upward
anabolism
2
: back : backward
anatropous

-ana

5 of 5

plural noun suffix

variants or -iana
: collected items of information especially anecdotal or bibliographical concerning
Americana

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from Greek, at the rate of, literally, up

Noun

-ana

Prefix

Latin, from Greek, up, back, again, from ana up — more at on

Plural noun suffix

New Latin, from Latin, neuter plural of -anus -an & -ianus -ian

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ana was in the 14th century

Rhymes for ana

See All Rhymes for ana

Browse Nearby Words

an-
ana
-ana
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ana.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ana. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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Kids Definition

ana-

prefix
variants or an-
: up : upward
anabolism
Etymology

Prefix

derived from Greek ana "up, back"

Medical Definition

ana

1 of 2 adverb
ˈan-ə How to pronounce ana (audio)
: of each an equal quantity
—used in writing prescriptions

ANA

2 of 2 abbreviation
1
American Nurses Association
2
antinuclear antibodies; antinuclear antibody

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