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Definition of pedophilia - 6 dictionary results

pe⋅do⋅phil⋅i⋅a

  [pee-duh-fil-ee-uh]
Use pedophilia in a Sentence
–noun Psychiatry.
sexual desire in an adult for a child.
Origin:
1905–10; < NL; see pedo- 1 , -philia
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ped·o·phil·i·a   (pěd'ə-fĭl'ē-ə, pē'də-)   
n.  The act or fantasy on the part of an adult of engaging in sexual activity with a child or children.
ped'o·phil'i·ac (-āk) adj. & n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

pedophilia 
1905, from Gk. pais (gen. paidos) "child" + philos "loving." First attested in Havelock Ellis. Derivative noun pedophile is first recorded 1951.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: pe·do·phil·ia
Pronunciation: "pEd-&-'fil-E-&, "ped-
Variant: or chiefly British pae·do·phil·ia /"pEd-/
Function: noun
: sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

pedophilia ped·o·phil·i·a (pěd'ə-fĭl'ē-ə, pē'də-)
n.
The act or fantasy on the part of an adult of engaging in sexual activity with a child or children.

ped'o·phile' (-fīl') n.
ped'o·phil'i·ac' (-fĭl'ē-āk') adj. & n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

pedophilia

psychosexual disorder in which an adult's arousal and sexual gratification occur primarily through sexual contact with prepubescent children. The typical pedophile is unable to find satisfaction in an adult sexual relationship and may have low self-esteem, seeing sexual activity with a child as less threatening than that with an adult. Most pedophiles are men; the condition is extremely rare in women.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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