anthroposcopy
|an-thro-po-scop-y|
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/ˌænθrəˈpɑskəpi/
🇬🇧
/ˌænθrəˈpɒskəpi/
examination of humans
Etymology
'anthroposcopy' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ἀνθρωποσκοπία (anthrōposkopía)', where 'ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos)' meant 'human' and 'σκοπέω / σκοπ- (skopein/skop-)' meant 'to look' or 'to examine'.
'anthroposcopy' was formed in New/Neo-Latin as 'anthroposcopia' (or from Greek 'anthrōposkopía') and entered modern English usage as the compound 'anthroposcopy'.
Initially it meant 'looking at or examining humans', and over time the term has been used to refer both to neutral observational/examination practices and, in rarer/historical usage, to the practice of inferring character from appearance.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the examination or observation of human beings (their bodies, appearance, or physical characteristics), often for medical, anthropological, or observational purposes.
The anthropologist relied on detailed anthroposcopy to record variations in facial features across the population.
Synonyms
Noun 2
(historical/rare) The practice of inferring character or personality from a person's physical appearance — similar to physiognomy.
In older texts, anthroposcopy was sometimes treated as a branch of physiognomy.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/26 18:52