agatho-, agath- +

(Greek: good)

Agatha (proper noun)
A female name from Greek meaning "good": Mary said that she had read all the stories written by Agatha Christie.
agathism (s) (noun) (no pl)
The belief that all things tend towards ultimate good: Agathism, a doctrine stating that everything ends well, is distinguished from optimism which holds that all things are now for the best.

Agathism is a system that recognizes the existence of evil, but holds that all things tend toward good.

The idea of agathism is the ultimate triumph of good despite any evil conditions or methods.

agathist (s) (noun), agathists (pl)
An adherent of the belief of "agathism": Jane's mother was an agathist and thought that "all things tend towards ultimate good".

Grace's aunt said that the world and things in general were heading for the better, therefore in things that other people she knew regarded as evil or tragic, includ.ing virulent diseases, calamitous earthquakes, or wars. She was an agathist who could find some ultimate purpose for good.

The optimist sees the present as pretty much for the "best". The agathist is less content with the present, thinks things are inevitably tending towards good despite the bad situations which precede the ultimate results.

agathocacological, agathokakological (adjective); more agathocacological, most agathocacological; more agathokakological, most agathokakological
Regarding something both good and evil: An agathocacological example could refer to something that is bittersweet.

A agathocacological condition is the coexistence and the relationship between the principles of good and evil.

agathodemon, agathodaemon; agathosdemon, agathosdaemon (s) (noun); agathodemons; agathodaemons; agathosdemons; agathosdaemons (pl)
1. In Greek religion, a good divinity or genius and a deity of good fortune, sometimes in the form of a serpent: Primitive Greek belief sometimes regarded domestic snakes as agathodemons, the reincarnations of ancestors as spirits friendly to the household. An antonym of "cacodemon".
2. In Hermetic literature, a being regarded in part as a divinity, in part as a traditional teacher: He, the agathodemon, received a libation of pure wine at the end of each meal. In Hellenistic, and in later times, he was associated with Tyche, the goddess of luck, as a somewhat impersonal providence. He also has been portrayed as a serpent or as a young man with a horn of plenty and a bowl in one hand and a poppy and ears of corn in the other hand.

agathodemonic (adjective) (not comparable)
Regarding a good beneficent divinity: Susan read in her story book that an agathodemonic spirit would be awaiting the orphan at the end of her journey.
agathology (s) (noun) (no pl)
The ethical principle or doctrine of the good: Agathology can be explained as the theory of benevolence and the nature of goodness.
agathopoietic (adjective), more agathopoietic, most agathopoietic
A proposed technical epithet for, "intended to do good", "of beneficent tendency": Kitty was known by her friends as agathopoietic because she always desired to do good things for others.
Agathosma (s) (noun) (no pl)
In botany, a genus of plants of the RutaceƦ family, literally "smelling good": The large group Agathosma includes the plants that are native of the Cape of Good Hope.
kalokagathia (s) (noun) (no pl)
1. A combination of the good and the beautiful in a person from Greek, καλὸς κἀγαθός (καλοκαγαθία): Rose had perfect character, a kalokagathia, because she was absolutely truthful, pretty, always in good humor, and always had a desire to help others in need.
2. The nobility and goodness of character: Kalokagathia was a fixed term with which the Athenian aristocracy referred to itself. According to the ethical philosophers, the first of whom were Athenian gentlemen, the term came to mean the ideal or perfect man.

Related good-word units: bene-, bon-, eu-.


Word groups that are antonyms of this unit: caco-, dys-, mal-, mis-.