-philia


  1. a combining form used in the formation of compound words that have the general sense “love or liking” (ailurophilia,Anglophilia), “unnatural attraction” (coprophilia,necrophilia), “tendency” (biophilia,hemophilia,) in histology, “cell staining with a specific dye” (chromophilia,eosinophilia); also forming abstract nouns that correspond to adjectives ending in -philic or -philous or nouns ending in -phile (zoophilia,spasmophilia).

Origin of -philia

1
From Greek philía “friendship, affinity”; see -phile, -ia;see also -phily

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use -philia in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for -philia

-philia

n combining form
  1. indicating a tendency towards: haemophilia

  2. indicating an abnormal liking for: necrophilia

Origin of -philia

1
from Greek philos loving

Derived forms of -philia

  • -philiac, n combining form

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012