Slavophile

[ slah-vuh-fahyl, -fil, slav-uh- ]

noun

1. a person who greatly admires the Slavs and Slavic ways.
2. one of a group of mid-19th century Russian intellectuals who favored traditional cultural practices over Western innovations, especially in political and religious life.

adjective

1. admiring or favoring the Slavs and Slavic interests, aims, customs, etc.

Slavophile

/ ˈslɑːvəʊfɪˌlɪzəm; ˈslɑːvəʊfɪl; -ˌfaɪl; sləˈvɒfɪˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. a person who admires the Slavs or their cultures
2. sometimes not capital (in 19th-century Russia) a person who believed in the superiority and advocated the supremacy of the Slavs

adjective

1. admiring the Slavs and Slavonic culture, etc
2. sometimes not capital (in 19th-century Russia) of, characteristic of, or relating to the Slavophiles

Derived Forms

• Slavophilism, noun

Other Words From

• Sla·voph·i·lism [sl, uh, -, vof, -, uh, -liz-, uh, m, slah, -v, uh, -fil-iz-, uh, m, slav, -, uh, -], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Slavophile¹

1875–80; Slavo- + -phile; compare Russian slavyanofíl

Example Sentences

Not long ago I had in my hands an interesting correspondence between an orthodox Slavophile and a Christian revolutionist.

From Project Gutenberg

Ivan Ivanovich Bochkarev (died 1915), former revolutionary Slavophile who suffered much for his convictions.

From Project Gutenberg