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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 á�Գٳ��ō��Dz�, 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.

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-

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