Oh, the Humanity!: We the People: Anthrop

The words on this list all share the root anthrop, from the Greek anthropos, meaning "man."

Work your way through these lists focused on Greek and Latin roots representing people and the social units they form: Gen, Ethn, Dem, Popul, Soc, Civ, Anthrop
10 words 8701 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. anthropology
    science of the origins and social relationships of humans
    The then-dominant school of anthropology propped up a narrative tracing “the stages of human culture,” from “savagery” through to “barbarism” and finally to “civilization.” New York Times (Jul 30, 2019)
    anthropos + logy (suffix forming names of sciences)
  2. anthropomorphism
    the representation of objects as having human form
    “It seems crazy, doesn’t it?” said Ann McGill, also a professor of behavioral science at Booth who studies product and brand anthropomorphism — our practice of projecting human qualities onto the things we buy. New York Times (Dec 11, 2015)
    anthropos + morph ("form") + ism (suffix forming nouns about practices, systems, doctrines)
  3. anthropomorphic
    suggesting human features for animals or inanimate things
    We have complicated, irrational, romanticized relationships with our cars, anthropomorphic tendencies and magical thinking connected to a hulk of glass and metal. Washington Post (Jul 1, 2015)
    Anthropomorphic and anthropomorphous are synonyms, but the former is far more common now. In the 19th century, Charles Darwin used anthropomorphous to describe gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans.
  4. anthropoid
    resembling human beings
    Humans first emerged in Africa, but our anthropoid ancestors didn’t arrive there until about 38 million years ago. Time (Jun 5, 2013)
  5. anthropic
    relating to mankind or the period of mankind's existence
    The question is the anthropic effect on global warming, and that, obviously, is still a matter of discussion. Scientific American (Aug 7, 2019)
  6. anthropocentric
    focused on human needs and values
    Because personhood has always been associated with intelligence, a less anthropocentric definition of intelligence yields a slightly reconfigured understanding of personhood as well. Salon (Jun 27, 2015)
  7. anthropometry
    measurement and study of the human body and its parts and capacities
    The study of the skeletons of animals, including those of man, has led to the science of anthropometry. Blackmar, Frank W. (Frank Wilson)
    anthropos + metry (suffix meaning "process of measuring")
  8. philanthropist
    someone who makes charitable donations
    The nexus between government and business to address global challenges requires collaboration with the international donor community, philanthropists, and local nongovernmental organizations through shared purpose. Time (Sep 29, 2015)
    phil ("loving") + anthropos + ist (suffix forming nouns)
  9. anthropophagy
    human cannibalism; the eating of human flesh
    Anthropophagy routinely emerges, says Petrinovich, under predictable starvation conditions, and such examples of human cannibalism are not as rare as many people believe. Slate (Dec 16, 2010)
    anthropos + phagein ("to eat")
  10. misanthrope
    someone who dislikes people in general
    As in the case of many misanthropes, his disdain for people led him into a profession designed to serve them. The Bluest Eye
    misos ("hatred") + anthropos
Created on Wed Sep 30 15:44:39 EDT 2015 (updated Mon Aug 26 15:47:27 EDT 2019)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.