*Oἶκος* is an Ancient Greek term used in reference to the basic social unit of the *polis*. It has a number of interrelated meanings; the family, the family’s land, and the house, with each used according to its context as a social unit. As land, it describes an agricultural unit. As a family, it designates a single political unit voting in the interests of their holdings. As a house, it represents the dwelling and center of domestic life; a cultural unit to define the family’s location within society. *Oἶκος* is the root of the prefix *eco-* used in "[[ecology]]" and "[[Economics MOC|economy]]".