-graphy

1. a combining form denoting a process or form of drawing, writing, representing, recording, describing, etc., or an art or science concerned with such a process:

   biography; choreography; geography; orthography; photography.

-graphy

combining form

1. indicating a form or process of writing, representing, etc

   photography

   calligraphy

2. indicating an art or descriptive science

   choreography

   oceanography

Word History and Origins

Origin of -graphy¹

< Greek -graphia. See -graph, -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of -graphy¹

via Latin from Greek -graphia, from graphein to write

Words That Use -graphy

What does -graphy mean?

The combining form -graphy is used like a suffix meaning “a process or form of drawing, writing, representing, recording, describing, etc.” or “an art or science concerned with such a process.” It is often used in scientific and technical terms.

The form -graphy comes from Greek -graphia, used to denote abstract nouns of action or function related to -graphos, meaning “drawn or written.” To learn more, read our entry on graph.

What are variants of -graphy?

While -graphy doesn’t have any variants, it is related to the forms -graph, as in radiograph, and -graphic, as in histographic. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on -graphy and -graphic.

Examples of -graphy

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -graphy is topography, “the detailed mapping or charting of the features of a relatively small area, district, or locality.” Topography comes from Greek topographía, which features the equivalent of -graphy in that language.

The topo- part of the word means “place,” from Greek tópos. As we already know, the form -graphy means “a form of representing or recording.” Topography literally translates to “a form of representing or recording a place.”

What are some words that use the combining form -graphy?

• anthropography
• crystallography
• geography (using the equivalent form of -graphy in Greek)
• photography
• radiography
• typography (using the equivalent form of -graphy in Latin)

What are some other forms that -graphy may be commonly confused with?

• -grade
• -gram
• -phagy

Break it down!

The combining form anthropo- means “human.” With this in mind, what does anthropography literally mean?