Meaning: people, population
Root word: Greek δῆμος (dêmos)
Roots with similar meanings:
- popul- meaning “people”
Roots with opposite meanings:
Roots that could be confused:
- dem– meaning “build”
- demi– meaning “half”
- de– meaning “down, removing, away from”
- demn– meaning “to inflict loss upon”
- academ- meaning “a place of teaching”
Notes: The word “demon” comes from the Greek word “daimon” and is not related to this root.
Derived English Words
Commonly encountered words are in bold.
Demagogue: A political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than using rational argument.
Deme: A local population or community within a species that can interbreed; a basic unit in the study of population genetics.
Democracy: A system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives.
Demographic: Relating to the statistical study of populations, especially human populations, including the structure, distribution, and trends in population characteristics.
Demography: The scientific study of populations, including their size, distribution, density, and growth, as well as the dynamics of population changes.
Demonym: A word used to denote the name for the residents or natives of a particular place, often derived from the name of that place.
Demophobia: An irrational fear or aversion to large groups of people or crowds.
Demotic: Relating to the common people or popular language; often used to describe a simplified or informal form of language.
Ecdemic: Pertaining to organisms that are introduced into an area where they are not native; often refers to species that are established outside their natural habitat.
Epidemiology: The study of how diseases affect the health and illness of populations, focusing on the distribution and determinants of health-related states.
Endemic: A disease or condition regularly found among particular people or in a certain area.
Epidemic: A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time, often affecting a large number of people.
Pandemic: An epidemic that has spread over multiple countries or continents, affecting a large number of people.
Other Uses
Damocles: A figure from Greek mythology known for the “Sword of Damocles,” symbolizing the constant threat of imminent danger faced by those in power.
Links
List of Greek and Latin roots in English – Wikipedia
Other Roots Used in These Words
| Root | Meaning |
| ag- | lead |
| -cracy | government, rule, authority |
| en- | in |
| epi- | upon |
| graph- | write, draw |
| pan- | all |
| -onym | name |
| -phob | fear |
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