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Greek Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes The following table lists some common Greek roots. | Greek root | Basic meaning | Example words |
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| -anthrop- | human | misanthrope, philanthropy, anthropomorphic | | -chron- | time | anachronism, chronic, chronicle, synchronize, chronometer | | -dem- | people | democracy, demography, demagogue, endemic, pandemic | | -morph- | form | amorphous, metamorphic, morphology | | -path- | feeling, suffering | empathy, sympathy, apathy, apathetic, psychopathic | | -pedo-, -ped- | child, children | pediatrician, pedagogue | | -philo-, -phil- | having a strong affinity or love for | philanthropy, philharmonic, philosophy | | -phon- | sound | polyphonic, cacophony, phonetics |
The following table gives a list of Greek prefixes and their basic meanings. | Greek prefix | Basic meaning | Example words |
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| a-, an- | without | achromatic, amoral, atypical, anaerobic | | anti-, ant- | opposite; opposing | anticrime, antipollution, antacid | | auto- | self, same | autobiography, automatic, autopilot | | bio-, bi- | life, living organism | biology, biophysics, biotechnology, biopsy | | geo- | Earth; geography | geography, geomagnetism, geophysics, geopolitics | | hyper- | excessive, excessively | hyperactive, hypercritical, hypersensitive | | micro- | small | microcosm, micronucleus, microscope | | mono- | one, single, alone | monochrome, monosyllable, monoxide | | neo- | new, recent | neonatal, neophyte, neoconservatism, neofascism, neodymium | | pan- | all | panorama, panchromatic, pandemic, pantheism | | thermo-, therm- | heat | thermal, thermometer, thermostat |
Words and word roots may also combine with suffixes. Here are examples of some important English suffixes that come from Greek: | Greek suffix | Basic meaning | Example words |
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| -ism | forms nouns and means “the act, state, or theory of” | criticism, optimism, capitalism | | -ist | forms agent nouns from verbs ending in -ize or nouns ending in -ism and is used like -er | conformist, copyist, cyclist | | -ize | forms verbs from nouns and adjectives | formalize, jeopardize, legalize, modernize, emphasize, hospitalize, industrialize, computerize | | -gram | something written or drawn, a record | cardiogram, telegram | | -graph | something written or drawn; an instrument for writing, drawing, or recording | monograph, phonograph, seismograph | | -logue, -log | speech, discourse; to speak | monologue, dialogue, travelogue | | -logy | discourse, expression; science, theory, study | phraseology, biology, dermatology | | -meter, -metry | measuring device; measure | spectrometer, geometry, kilometer, parameter, perimeter | | -oid | forms adjectives and nouns and means “like, resembling” or “shape, form” | humanoid, spheroid, trapezoid | | -phile | one that loves or has a strong affinity for; loving | audiophile, Francophile | | -phobe, -phobia | one that fears a specified thing; an intense fear of a specified thing | agoraphobe, agoraphobia, xenophobe, xenophobia | | -phone | sound; device that receives or emits sound; speaker of a language | homophone, geophone, telephone, Francophone |
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