GREEK ROOTS

Root

Origin

Meaning

Examples

Greek

without

amoral, atheist,

agro

Greek

earth, field, soil

agriculture, agronomy

anti

Greek

against, opposite

antonym,

aero

Greek

air

aero plane

aristo

Greek

best

aristocracy

astro

Greek

star

astronomy, astronaut, astrology

auto

Greek

self

automatic, automobile,

biblos

Greek

book

bibliography,

bio

Greek

life

biography, biology

chrono

Greek

time

chronology, chronometer

cosmos

Greek

world

cosmology

cracy

Greek

govern, rule

democracy, aristocracy, theocracy

crypto

Greek

hide

cryptogram, cryptic

cycl

Greek

circular, wheel

cycle, bicycle, cyclical, recycle

deca

Greek

ten

decade, decagram, decaliter

demos

Greek

people

democracy, demographics,

derma

Greek

skin

dermatology

dyna

Greek

power, strength

dynamic, dynamo, dynamite

dia

Greek

across, through

diameter

ethnos

Greek

race, nation

ethnic, ethnocentric

eu

Greek

well

euphemism, euphoria

geo

Greek

earth

geography, geology

glot, glossa

Greek

tongue, language

glossary, polyglot

gram

Greek

something written

telegram

graph

Greek

write, draw

biography, telegraph, autograph, geography

glyphe

Greek

carving

petroglyph, hieroglyphs

gon

Greek

having angles

polygon, pentagon, octagon

helios

Greek

sun

helioshere

hemi

Greek

half

hemisphere

hemo

Greek

blood

hemoglobin

herba

Greek

grass, herb

herbavore

hexa

Greek

six

hexagon

homo

Greek

same

homonym, homogenous

hydro

Greek

water

hydro cycle, hydrant, dehydrate, hydroplane

hypo

Greek

sleep

hypnosis

hyper

Greek

more than, excessive

hyperactive

kilo

Greek

one thousand

kilogram, kilometer

micro

Greek

small

microscope, microscopic, microchip,

meter

Greek

measure

kilometer, thermometer, speedometer

mega

Greek

large, powerful

megalopolis, megaphone,

mono

Greek

one, alone

monotone, monocle

octo

Greek

eight

octagon, octopus, October

penta

Greek

five

pentagon

phone

Greek

sound

telephone, megaphone, microphone, phonics

philo

Greek

love

philosophy

phobia

Greek

fear

arachnophobia, acrophobia,

poly

Greek

much, many

polygon, polysyllabic

scope

Greek

see, watch

microscope, telescope

techno

Greek

skill, craft

technology, technique

tele

Greek

far

telescope, telephone, telephoto, television

theo

Greek

god

theism, atheist, theology

thermo

Greek

heat

thermos, thermometer

tract

Greek

pull

attraction, distract, extract,

zoo

Greek

animal

zoo, zoologist