anthropo-

1. a learned borrowing from Greek meaning “human,” used in the formation of compound words:

   anthropometry.

anthropo-

combining_form

1. indicating man or human

   anthropomorphism

   anthropology

Word History and Origins

Origin of anthropo-¹

< Greek, combining form of ánthrōpos human being, man

Word History and Origins

Origin of anthropo-¹

from Greek anthrōpos

Example Sentences

The term "Anthropocene" comes from the Greek for human, "anthropo".

From BBC

Some have proposed calling our current geological age the "Anthropocene," derived from the Greek word "anthropo" for "human."

From Salon

In 2019, they reached agreement: If you’re alive now you live in the Anthropocene — a geologic epoch incorporating humans in its very definition: “Anthropo,” as in anthropology, meaning “human”; and “cene,” as in so many recent geologic epochs — Miocene, Pleistocene — meaning “recent” or “new.”

From Los Angeles Times

“There is a feeling among the archaeologists that because the word ‘anthropo’ is in there, their science should be central,” one geologist complained to me privately.

From The Guardian

“Anthropo,” from the Greek word for human, also is part of the show’s title.

From Washington Post

Words That Use Anthropo-

What does anthropo- mean?

Anthropo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “human.” It is often used in scientific and other technical terms, including in the social sciences.

Anthropo- comes from the Greek ánthrōpos, meaning “human being” or “man.”

What are variants of anthropo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, anthropo- becomes anthrop-, as in anthropoid.

Examples of anthropo-

An example of a word you may have encountered that features the combining form anthropo- is anthropology, “the science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind.”

We know that anthropo- means “human.” The –logy part of the word might also look familiar from terms like biology or theology. It is a combining form used to name sciences or bodies of knowledge. Anthropology, then, literally translates to “the study of humans.”

What are some words that use the combining form anthropo-?

• anthropocene
• anthropocentric
• anthropogenic
• anthropogenesis
• anthropogeography
• anthropography
• anthropoid
• anthropolatry
• anthropologist
• anthropometer
• anthropometry
• anthropomorphic
• anthropomorphous

What are some other forms that anthropo- may be commonly confused with?

• antho-
• anthraco-

Break it down!

The combining form -morphic means “having the shape, form, or structure” of something. What does something described as anthropomorphic resemble?