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Greek in English

From atoms to democracy, English leans on ancient Greek for the vocabulary of science, thought, and everyday life.

2,729 words · 0 Greek roots

160 words in Politics & Society

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Agora

Politics
ἀγοράagorá

“gathering place”

Amnesty

Politics
ἀ-a-

“not remembering”

Anabasis

Politics
ἀνάaná

“a going up”

Anarchism

Politics
ἀν-an-

“without a ruler”

Anomie

Politics
ἀ-a-

“lawlessness”

Anthropology

Politics
ἄνθρωποςánthrōpos

“study of humankind”

Archive

Politics
ἀρχεῖονarkheîon

“the house of the magistrates”

Archon

Politics
ἄρχωνárchōn

“the one who rules”

Aristocracy

Politics
ἄριστοςáristos

“rule by the best”

Asylum

Politics
ἀ-a-

“not to be seized”

Autarky

Politics
αὐτόςautós

“self-sufficiency”

Autocracy

Politics
αὐτόςautós

“self-power”

Autocrat

Politics
αὐτοκράτωρautokrátōr

“self-ruler”

Autonomy

Politics
αὐτόςautós

“self-law”

Ballista

Politics
βάλλεινbállein

“thrower”

Barbarian

Politics
βάρβαροςbárbaros

“one who says bar-bar”

Bigamy

Politics
γάμοςgámos

“twice-married”

Bomb

Politics
βόμβοςbómbos

“a booming noise”

Bureaucracy

Politics
κράτοςkrátos

“rule by the writing desk”

Cadastre

Politics
κατάkatá

“line by line”

Caravel

Politics
κάραβοςkárabos

“crayfish, small light vessel”

Cartel

Politics
χάρτηςkhártēs

“little paper”

Cataphract

Politics
κατάkatá

“fenced in all over”

Catapult

Politics
κατάkatá

“hurled against”

Cenotaph

Politics
κενόςkenós

“empty tomb”

Charter

Politics
χάρτηςkhártēs

“little papyrus sheet”

Chirograph

Politics
χείρcheír

“hand-writing”

Chrematistics

Politics
χρῆμαkhrêma

“the art of getting money”

Clerk

Politics
κληρικόςklērikós

“one of the allotted share”

Cosmopolitan

Politics
κόσμοςkósmos

“citizen of the world”

Demagogue

Politics
δῆμοςdêmos

“leader of the people”

Democrat

Politics
δῆμοςdêmos

“people-power man”

Demography

Politics
δῆμοςdêmos

“writing about the people”

Demos

Politics
δῆμοςdêmos

“the people of a district”

Despot

Politics
δεσπότηςdespótēs

“master of the house”

Despotism

Politics
δεσπότηςdespótēs

“house-master rule”

Diadem

Politics
διάdiá

“a binding round”

Diarchy

Politics
δι-di-

“rule of two”

Diaspora

Politics
διάdiá

“a scattering across”

Diplomacy

Politics
δίπλωμαdíplōma

“a folded document”

Diplomat

Politics
δίπλωμαdíplōma

“one who carries the folded paper”

Drachma

Politics
δράσσομαιdrássomai

“a handful”

Draconian

Politics
ΔράκωνDrákōn

“of Draco the serpent”

Dromon

Politics
δρόμοςdrómos

“the runner”

Duopoly

Politics
δύοdúo

“two-selling”

Dynasty

Politics
δυναστείαdynasteía

“the holding of power”

Dystopia

Politics
δυσ-dys-

“bad place”

Emphyteusis

Politics
ἐνen

“a planting-in”