What is a hyphenated prefix?

A hyphenated prefix is a prefix that is attached to a base Word with a hyphen, often used to clarify meaning or maintain readability. For example, "non-essential" and "well-known" are examples of hyphenated prefixes. These prefixes help avoid confusion in meaning and are typically used when the combination of the prefix and the base Word might be misread or mispronounced without the hyphen.