70+ List of Greek Root Words: Quickly Widen Your Language Horizons

means “life”

• ☆biology, the study of living organisms
• ☆biography, an account of a person's life
• ☆antibiotic, a medicine that destroys or slows bacteria
• ☆symbiosis, a close, mutually beneficial relationship between organisms

means “earth”

• ☆geography, the study of the earth's features and peoples
• ☆geology, the study of the earth's physical structure
• ☆geometry, the mathematics of shapes, lines, and space
• ☆geothermal, relating to heat from within the earth

means “write, draw”

• ☆autograph, a person's own signature
• ☆paragraph, a distinct section of a piece of writing
• ☆telegraph, a system for sending messages over distance
• ☆photograph, an image made by recording light

means “written, drawn”

• ☆grammar, the rules governing a language's structure
• ☆telegram, a message sent by telegraph
• ☆diagram, a simplified drawing that explains something
• ☆epigram, a short, witty saying

means “sound, voice”

• ☆telephone, a device for speaking to someone at a distance
• ☆symphony, an elaborate composition for full orchestra
• ☆phonics, a method of teaching reading by sound
• ☆cacophony, a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

means “light”

• ☆photograph, an image made by recording light
• ☆photosynthesis, how plants make food from light
• ☆photon, a particle of light
• ☆telephoto, a lens for photographing distant objects

means “time”

• ☆chronology, the arrangement of events in time order
• ☆chronic, persisting for a long time
• ☆synchronize, to make things happen at the same time
• ☆anachronism, something out of its proper time

means “color”

• ☆chromatic, relating to color
• ☆monochrome, having only one color
• ☆chromosome, a structure carrying genetic material
• ☆polychrome, decorated in many colors

means “universe, world”

• ☆cosmos, the universe seen as an ordered whole
• ☆cosmopolitan, familiar with many parts of the world
• ☆microcosm, a small world representing a larger one
• ☆cosmonaut, a Russian astronaut

means “rule, power, government”

• ☆democracy, government by the people
• ☆aristocracy, rule by a privileged upper class
• ☆autocracy, rule by a single person with total power
• ☆bureaucracy, rule through many administrative offices

means “people”

• ☆democracy, government by the people
• ☆demographic, relating to the structure of populations
• ☆epidemic, a disease spreading widely among people
• ☆demagogue, a leader who exploits popular prejudice

means “feeling, suffering, disease”

• ☆sympathy, shared feeling for another's sorrow
• ☆empathy, the ability to share another's feelings
• ☆pathology, the study of disease
• ☆apathy, a lack of interest or feeling

means “mind, soul”

• ☆psychology, the study of the mind and behavior
• ☆psychic, relating to the mind or supposed mental powers
• ☆psychiatry, the medical treatment of mental illness
• ☆psyche, the human soul, mind, or spirit

means “far, distant”

• ☆telescope, an instrument for viewing distant objects
• ☆television, a device for receiving broadcast images
• ☆telepathy, supposed communication of thoughts at a distance
• ☆telegraph, a system for sending messages over distance

means “look at, examine”

• ☆microscope, an instrument for viewing tiny objects
• ☆periscope, a tube for seeing over or around obstacles
• ☆stethoscope, an instrument for listening to the body
• ☆kaleidoscope, a tube showing changing colored patterns

means “heat”

• ☆thermometer, an instrument for measuring temperature
• ☆thermal, relating to heat
• ☆thermostat, a device that regulates temperature
• ☆hypothermia, dangerously low body temperature

means “water”

• ☆hydrant, an outdoor pipe supplying water
• ☆dehydrate, to remove water from
• ☆hydrogen, the lightest chemical element
• ☆hydraulic, operated by liquid pressure

means “book”

• ☆bibliography, a list of books and sources
• ☆bibliophile, a lover of books
• ☆bibliomania, an obsessive passion for collecting books
• ☆Bible, the sacred scriptures of Christianity

means “self”

• ☆automatic, working by itself with little control
• ☆autobiography, a life story written by its subject
• ☆autonomy, the right to self-government
• ☆automobile, a self-propelled road vehicle

means “human, mankind”

• ☆anthropology, the study of human societies
• ☆philanthropy, generous giving to help others
• ☆misanthrope, a person who dislikes humankind
• ☆anthropomorphic, giving human traits to non-humans

means “ruler, chief”

• ☆monarch, a single ruler such as a king or queen
• ☆anarchy, a state without government or order
• ☆hierarchy, a system of ranked authority
• ☆patriarch, a male head of a family or tribe

means “star”

• ☆astronomy, the study of stars and space
• ☆asteroid, a small rocky body orbiting the sun
• ☆asterisk, the star-shaped symbol *
• ☆disaster, a sudden great misfortune (literally 'ill-starred')

means “sailor, ship”

• ☆astronaut, a person trained to travel in space
• ☆nautical, relating to ships or sailing
• ☆cosmonaut, a Russian astronaut
• ☆aeronautics, the science of flight

means “birth, origin, race”

• ☆genesis, the origin or beginning of something
• ☆genetics, the study of heredity
• ☆genocide, the deliberate killing of a people
• ☆homogeneous, of the same kind throughout

means “word, reason, speech”

• ☆dialogue, conversation between two or more people
• ☆monologue, a long speech by one person
• ☆prologue, an introduction to a literary work
• ☆analogy, a comparison between similar things

means “measure”

• ☆diameter, a straight line through the center of a circle
• ☆perimeter, the boundary length around a shape
• ☆barometer, an instrument measuring air pressure
• ☆symmetry, balanced proportion between parts

means “small”

• ☆microscope, an instrument for viewing tiny objects
• ☆microphone, a device for amplifying sound
• ☆microbe, a microscopic organism
• ☆microcosm, a small world representing a larger one

means “large, long”

• ☆macroscopic, visible to the naked eye
• ☆macrocosm, the universe as a whole
• ☆macroeconomics, the study of whole economies
• ☆macron, a bar placed over a long vowel

means “great, large”

• ☆megaphone, a cone for amplifying the voice
• ☆megalith, a large prehistoric stone
• ☆megalomania, a delusion of grandeur or power
• ☆megabyte, about a million bytes of data

means “one, single”

• ☆monologue, a long speech by one person
• ☆monotone, a single unchanging tone
• ☆monopoly, exclusive control of a market
• ☆monochrome, having only one color

means “many”

• ☆polygon, a shape with many straight sides
• ☆polyglot, a person who knows many languages
• ☆polytheism, belief in many gods
• ☆polymer, a compound of many repeating units

means “form, shape”

• ☆metamorphosis, a complete change of form
• ☆amorphous, having no definite shape
• ☆morphology, the study of form and structure
• ☆anthropomorphic, giving human traits to non-humans

means “new”

• ☆neologism, a newly coined word
• ☆neonatal, relating to newborn infants
• ☆Neolithic, of the later Stone Age
• ☆neophyte, a beginner or new convert

means “ancient, old”

• ☆paleontology, the study of fossils
• ☆Paleolithic, of the early Stone Age
• ☆paleography, the study of ancient writing
• ☆paleoclimate, the climate of past ages

means “love, fondness”

• ☆philosophy, the love and study of wisdom
• ☆philanthropy, generous giving to help others
• ☆bibliophile, a lover of books
• ☆philharmonic, devoted to music

means “fear”

• ☆claustrophobia, fear of enclosed spaces
• ☆arachnophobia, fear of spiders
• ☆xenophobia, fear or hatred of strangers
• ☆phobia, an extreme or irrational fear

means “wise, wisdom”

• ☆philosophy, the love and study of wisdom
• ☆sophisticated, worldly-wise and refined
• ☆sophomore, a second-year student
• ☆sophistry, clever but misleading argument

means “art, skill, craft”

• ☆technology, the application of scientific knowledge
• ☆technique, a way of carrying out a task
• ☆technical, relating to a particular skill or subject
• ☆pyrotechnics, the art of making fireworks

means “different, other”

• ☆heterogeneous, made of different kinds
• ☆heterodox, not conforming to accepted belief
• ☆heteronym, a word spelled like another but different in sound and sense
• ☆heterosexual, attracted to the opposite sex

means “same”

• ☆homogeneous, of the same kind throughout
• ☆homonym, a word that sounds like another but differs in meaning
• ☆homophone, a word pronounced like another
• ☆homograph, a word spelled like another but different in meaning

means “woman”

• ☆gynecology, the medicine of women's health
• ☆misogyny, hatred of women
• ☆androgynous, having both male and female traits
• ☆gynecoid, resembling a woman in form

means “man, male”

• ☆android, a robot with human appearance
• ☆androgynous, having both male and female traits
• ☆polyandry, the practice of having several husbands
• ☆andrology, the medicine of male health

means “fire”

• ☆pyromania, an obsessive urge to start fires
• ☆pyre, a pile of wood for burning a body
• ☆pyrotechnics, the art of making fireworks
• ☆pyrometer, a device for measuring high temperatures

means “nerve”

• ☆neurology, the study of the nervous system
• ☆neuron, a nerve cell
• ☆neurotic, marked by excessive anxiety
• ☆neurosurgeon, a surgeon of the nervous system

means “heart”

• ☆cardiology, the study of the heart
• ☆cardiac, relating to the heart
• ☆cardiovascular, relating to the heart and blood vessels
• ☆electrocardiogram, a record of the heart's electrical activity

means “skin”

• ☆dermatology, the study of the skin
• ☆epidermis, the outer layer of skin
• ☆hypodermic, injected beneath the skin
• ☆taxidermy, the art of preserving animal skins

means “blood”

• ☆hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in blood
• ☆hemorrhage, heavy bleeding
• ☆hemophilia, a disorder that prevents blood clotting
• ☆anemia, a deficiency of red blood cells

means “eye, sight”

• ☆optic, relating to the eye or vision
• ☆optometry, the practice of testing eyesight
• ☆autopsy, an examination of a body after death
• ☆myopia, short-sightedness

means “straight, correct”

• ☆orthodox, holding accepted or correct beliefs
• ☆orthodontist, a dentist who straightens teeth
• ☆orthography, correct or standard spelling
• ☆orthopedic, relating to the correction of bones

means “bone”

• ☆osteoporosis, a disease of brittle, porous bones
• ☆osteopathy, treatment by manipulating bones and muscles
• ☆osteology, the study of bones
• ☆osteoarthritis, joint disease from cartilage breakdown

means “death, corpse”

• ☆necropolis, an ancient cemetery
• ☆necrosis, the death of body tissue
• ☆necromancy, supposed communication with the dead
• ☆necrophobia, fear of death or dead things

means “plant, growth”

• ☆neophyte, a beginner or new convert
• ☆epiphyte, a plant growing on another plant
• ☆phytoplankton, microscopic drifting plants
• ☆phytology, the study of plants; botany

means “animal, living being”

• ☆zoology, the study of animals
• ☆zodiac, the belt of constellations named for animals
• ☆protozoa, single-celled animal-like organisms
• ☆zoophyte, an animal resembling a plant, such as coral

means “god”

• ☆theology, the study of God and religion
• ☆theocracy, government by religious authority
• ☆theologian, an expert in the study of religion
• ☆apotheosis, elevation to the rank of a god

means “eat”

• ☆esophagus, the tube carrying food to the stomach
• ☆sarcophagus, a stone coffin (literally 'flesh-eating')
• ☆phagocyte, a cell that engulfs harmful particles
• ☆bacteriophage, a virus that consumes bacteria

means “stomach”

• ☆gastric, relating to the stomach
• ☆gastronomy, the art of good eating
• ☆gastritis, inflammation of the stomach lining
• ☆gastropod, a mollusk such as a snail

means “nature”

• ☆physics, the science of matter and energy
• ☆physiology, the study of how organisms function
• ☆physique, the form and build of a body
• ☆metaphysics, philosophy of being and reality

means “power, force”

• ☆dynamic, characterized by energy and change
• ☆dynamite, a powerful explosive
• ☆dynamo, a machine that generates power
• ☆dynasty, a powerful ruling family

means “work”

• ☆energy, the capacity to do work
• ☆ergonomic, designed for efficient, comfortable work
• ☆synergy, combined action greater than the sum of parts
• ☆allergy, an overreaction of the body to a substance

means “movement, motion”

• ☆kinetic, relating to motion
• ☆cinema, the making and showing of films
• ☆kinesiology, the study of body movement
• ☆telekinesis, supposed movement of objects by the mind

means “know”

• ☆diagnosis, identification of an illness
• ☆prognosis, a forecast of how an illness will develop
• ☆agnostic, one who believes ultimate truth is unknowable
• ☆gnome, a pithy maxim of wisdom

means “hidden, secret”

• ☆cryptic, having a hidden meaning
• ☆cryptography, the writing and solving of codes
• ☆apocryphal, of doubtful authenticity
• ☆encrypt, to convert into a hidden code

means “sweat”

• ☆hidrosis, the secretion of sweat
• ☆anhidrosis, an inability to sweat normally
• ☆hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating
• ☆hidradenitis, inflammation of the sweat glands

means “healing, medicine”

• ☆pediatrics, the branch of medicine for children
• ☆psychiatry, the medical treatment of mental illness
• ☆podiatry, the treatment of the feet
• ☆geriatrics, the medicine of old age

means “green”

• ☆chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants
• ☆chlorine, a greenish-yellow chemical element
• ☆chloroplast, the plant cell part that makes food from light
• ☆chlorosis, an abnormal yellow-green in plants

means “white”

• ☆leukemia, a cancer of white blood cells
• ☆leukocyte, a white blood cell
• ☆leucine, an essential amino acid
• ☆leukoplakia, white patches on a mucous membrane

means “black, dark”

• ☆melancholy, a deep, lasting sadness
• ☆melanin, the dark pigment of skin and hair
• ☆melanoma, a serious skin cancer
• ☆melodrama, an exaggerated, sensational drama