-philia

phil·ia
/-ˈfɪ.li.ə//-ˈfiː.li.ə/

suffix

Used to form nouns meaning liking, love (for something).

“Teleiophilia = a love of adults”

Opposite
-phobia
OriginAncient Greek φῐλῐ́ᾱ (phĭlĭ́ā) ← Proto-Indo-European *bʰil-o-s →
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Meanings

suffix
  1. Used to form nouns meaning liking, love (for something).

    Teleiophilia = a love of adults

    1 more example

    Afrophilia = a love of Africa or African people

  2. medicineUsed to form nouns meaning abnormal liking or tendency (for something), e.g. paraphilia.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
-phobia
Also see
-philism

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰil-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰil-o-s
  3. Ancient Greekφῐ́λος (phĭ́los)
  4. Ancient Greekφῐλῐ́ᾱ (phĭlĭ́ā)
  5. English-philia

From Ancient Greek φιλία (philía, “(fraternal) love”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan -fília
  • -fíliaforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Chinese Mandarin 親...派 /亲...派, 親- /亲-
  • 親...派 /亲...派 (qīn...pài)forming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
  • 親- /亲- (qīn-)forming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
  • 崇拜- (chóngbài-)forming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Danish -fili
  • -filiforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Dutch -filie
  • -filieforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Finnish -filia
  • -filiaforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
French -philie
  • -philieforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
German -philie
  • -philieforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Hungarian -fília, vonzalom
  • -fíliaforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
  • vonzalomforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
  • vonzódásforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Japanese 親...派, -フィリア
  • 親...派 (shin...ha)forming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
  • -フィリア (-firia)forming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Malay -filia
  • -filiaforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Polish -filia
  • -filiaforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Portuguese -filia
  • -filiaforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Romanian -filie
  • -filieforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Russian -фи́лия
  • -фи́лия (-fílija)forming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Spanish -filia
  • -filiaforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing
Turkish -fili
  • -filiforming words denoting abnormal linking towards a given thing

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with -philia

ameliaCeciliaCeliadeliaCordeliaOpheliapsychedeliapedophiliaKarelialobeliahaemophilianecrophiliaphaceliaphiliacoprophiliajuveniliaklismaphiliaandrophiliaaptophiliaaquaphiliaasphyxiophiliaautoandrogynemorphophiliaautoandrophiliaautogynandromorphophilia
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

-philia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-philia

MLA

“-philia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-philia. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-philia,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-philia.

Source: -philia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.