-crat

The combining form –crat is used like a suffix meaning variously “ruler,” “member of a ruling body,” or “advocate (supporter) of a form of rule.” It is occasionally used in technical terms, especially in sociology.

The form –crat ultimately comes from Greek krátos, meaning “rule” and “strength.”

What are variants of –crat?

While –crat doesn’t have any variants, it is related to the form –cracy, as in plutocracy. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for –cracy.

An example of a familiar word that features –crat is democrat, “an advocate of democracy.” Democrat comes from French démocrate, which uses the equivalent form of –crat.

The demo– part of the word means “people,” from Greek dêmos. The form –crat means, among other things, “advocate of a form of rule.” Democrat literally means “advocate for government by the people.”

What are some words that use the combining form –crat?

• aristocrat (using the equivalent form of –cracy in Greek)
• bureaucrat
• gerontocrat
• kakistocrat
• meritocrat
• plutocrat (using the equivalent form of –cracy in Greek)
• technocrat
• theocrat

What are some other forms that –crat may be commonly confused with?

• -arch
• -core
• -cyte

The combining form klepto– means “thief.” With this in mind, what kind of person is known as a kleptocrat?