phi·lat·e·ly

(fĭ-lăt′l-ē)

The collection and study of postage stamps, postmarks, and related materials; stamp collecting.

[French philatélie : Greek phil-, philo-, philo- + Greek ateleia, exemption from payment (because a postage stamp indicates prepayment of postage) (a-, without; see a-¹ + telos, tax, charge; see telə- in Indo-European roots).]

phil′a·tel′ic (fĭl′ə-tĕl′ĭk), phil′a·tel′i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj.

phil′a·tel′i·cal·ly adv.

phi·lat′e·list n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Adj.

philatelical - of or relating to philately or of interest to philatelists

philatelic

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philatelic

References in periodicals archive

Parodi's philatelical interests appear not infrequently across his correspondence.

Articulo invitado: The scientific letters of Lorenzo R. Parodi

The astounding thing is that, as the century comes to an end in decadence, as centuries do, fiction is still being judged by incongruous standards: it should confront us with "lovable" characters; its prose had best be clipped and lean and clean, like Himmler's greyhounds; and whodunits have to be scrutinized with almost philatelical seriousness (thrillers too) while the outstanding fiction of the century gathers dust.

The stylist's revenge

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