Etymograph

English

bios

Bios comes from Ancient Greek βίος ‘life, the good life’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβίος1bíos‘life, the good life’
  2. Englishtodaybios1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English bios

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβίοςWiktionary, English biosbíos‘life, the good life’
  2. EnglishtodaybiosWiktionary, English bios

The story

From Ancient Greek βίος (bíos, “life, the good life”), first distinguished in this particular sense by Giorgio Agamben.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Hellenic *gʷīwos

abiotic, 1 more

through Ancient Greek βίος ‘life, the good life’

biology, biography, antibiotic, biotic, biota, 15 more

Today it means

noun A particular mode of life, a qualified life.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “bios”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek βίος / bios

Shirt and support for this word