The Origin of the Word “Technology”

Today, technology often brings to mind smartphones, computers and advanced machinery. But the word is much older than these inventions. Its history reaches back to ancient Greek and reflects a broader idea: the organised knowledge and practice behind a craft or skill.

Roots in ancient Greek

Technology comes from the Greek technologia, a word formed from technē and logia. Technē meant art, skill or craft, while logia referred to an account, discussion or systematic treatment of a subject. Together, the parts suggested a discussion or organised study of an art or craft.

The Greek word was not limited to machines or inventions. Technē could describe practical knowledge involved in activities such as building, medicine or making objects. It referred to knowing how to do something, as well as to the skill involved in doing it.

How the word entered English

The English word technology appeared in the early 17th century. At first, it meant a discussion or description of the practical arts — much closer to “the study of crafts” than to the modern idea of digital devices.

Over time, the word’s meaning broadened. By the 19th century, it could refer to the terminology and methods used in a particular field. As scientific knowledge became increasingly important to industry and everyday life, technology came to describe the practical application of knowledge, especially through tools, processes and machinery.

From crafts to computers

The modern meaning developed gradually. Technology can include physical objects such as engines and medical equipment, but it also encompasses processes and systems: the methods used to produce goods, communicate information or solve practical problems.

That wider meaning helps explain why technology is not simply another word for gadgets. A simple hand tool is technology, as is a complex computer network. Both embody human knowledge applied to a practical purpose.

A word that keeps evolving

The history of technology mirrors changes in society. Its roots point to skill and craft; its modern use reflects the growing role of science, engineering and invention. As new tools and systems emerge, the word continues to adapt — but its central idea remains much the same: using knowledge and skill to make or do something.

Exploring the Origins of ‘Technology’: A Journey from Ancient Greek to Modern English

1. ‘Technology’ comes from the Greek *tekhnē*, meaning art, skill or craft.
2. The Greek *tekhnologia* referred to the systematic treatment of an art or craft.
3. The word entered English in the 17th century.
4. Early English uses meant discussion or description of the arts.
5. Its modern sense grew to include practical and industrial applications of science.
6. The ‘-logy’ part comes from Greek *logia*, meaning study or discourse.

‘Technology’ comes from the Greek *tekhnē*, meaning art, skill or craft.

The word “technology” has its roots in the Greek *tekhnē*, meaning art, skill or craft. This origin reflects a broader, older sense of technology: not just modern devices and machinery, but the practical knowledge and skill people use to make things and solve problems.

The Greek *tekhnologia* referred to the systematic treatment of an art or craft.

The Greek word tekhnologia referred to the systematic treatment or discussion of an art or craft. It combined tekhnē, meaning skill, art or craft, with a word element associated with an account or study. This early sense was broader than today’s common association with computers and machines: it described the organised knowledge behind practical skills and ways of making things.

The word entered English in the 17th century.

The word “technology” entered English in the 17th century, when it referred to a discussion or description of the practical arts and crafts. Its meaning was broader than any single tool or invention, reflecting the organised knowledge and skills behind making and doing things. Over the centuries, the term evolved to describe the practical application of knowledge, eventually taking on its familiar modern associations with science, machinery and digital devices.

Early English uses meant discussion or description of the arts.

In its early English uses, “technology” referred to a discussion or description of the arts and practical crafts, rather than to machines or digital devices. The word was used for explaining different fields of skill and knowledge, reflecting its Greek roots in technē, meaning art, craft or skill. Over time, its meaning broadened to include the practical application of knowledge through tools, techniques and systems.

Its modern sense grew to include practical and industrial applications of science.

Over time, the meaning of “technology” expanded beyond the study of crafts and practical skills. As scientific discoveries began to shape manufacturing, engineering and everyday life, the word came to describe the practical and industrial application of scientific knowledge. Today, it can refer both to the tools and machinery created through science and to the processes and systems that make them work.

The ‘-logy’ part comes from Greek *logia*, meaning study or discourse.

The “-logy” in “technology” comes from the Greek *logia*, meaning “study” or “discourse”. It gives the word a sense of an organised account or discussion of a subject. Combined with *technē*, meaning art, skill or craft, it helps explain the word’s original connection to the study and practice of practical skills.