-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 ).

-philia

combining form

1. indicating a tendency towards

   haemophilia

2. indicating an abnormal liking for

   necrophilia

Derived Forms

• -philiac, combining_form:in_noun:countable

Word History and Origins

Origin of -philia¹

From Greek philía “friendship, affinity”; -phile, -ia; -phily ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of -philia¹

from Greek philos loving

Example Sentences

Two female figures, Philia and Metrodora, stand clasping hands.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use -philia

What does -philia mean?

The combining form -philia is used like a suffix that has a variety of meanings in different contexts. Generally, it means “love or liking,” “unnatural attraction,” or “tendency.”

In some specific terms from chemistry or biology, it is used to mean “cell staining with a specific dye.” It is often used in scientific and everyday terms, especially in biology and psychology. The form -philia is used to make noun forms of words ending in -philic, -philous, or -phile.

The form -philia comes from Greek philía, meaning “friendship, affinity.” The Latin translation is amīcitia, which is the source of such words as amity.

While -philia doesn’t have any variants, it is related to six other combining forms: -phile, -philiac, -philic, -philism, -philous, and -phily. Want to know more? Check out our Words that Use articles for each form.

Examples of -philia

One example of a scientific term that features the form -philia is hydrophilia, “a tendency of the blood and tissues to absorb fluid.”

The first part of the word, hydro-, means “water,” from Greek hýdōr, while -philia means “tendency” or “liking for.” Hydrophilia literally translates to “liking for water.”

What are some words that use the combining form -philia?

• Anglophilia
• chromophilia
• mysophilia
• nyctophilia
• technophilia

What are some other forms that -philia may be commonly confused with?

• -phile
• -philic
• -philous
• -phyll

Break it down!

The combining form Anglo- means “English,” particularly in the sense of all things related to England. With this in mind, what is Anglophilia?