philo-

Also found in: Medical, Acronyms, Wikipedia.

philo-

(word root) love
Examples of words with the root philo-: philogynist
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

philo-

or phil-
pref.
Having a strong affinity or preference for; loving: philoprogenitive.
[Greek, from philos, beloved, loving.]
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.

philo-

or before a vowel

phil-

combining form
indicating a love of: philology; philanthropic.
[from Greek philos loving]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

philo-

a combining form with the meanings “loving,” “having an affinity for”: philology. Also, esp. before a vowel, phil-.
[< Greek, comb. of phílos loving, dear]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Mentioned in
References in periodicals archive
A: The antisemiteat least he isn't lying." This may be too cynical; closer to the bone is the saying that "a philo-Semite is an anti-Semite who loves Jews." That formulation helps to capture the sense that philo- and anti- share an unhealthy interest in Jews and an unreal notion of who and what Jews are.
Frenemies
Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.