Meanings
- uncountableA paraphilia characterised by sexual attraction to a statue, doll, mannequin, or similar object.
The former included research into alcoholism, transsexualism, painting in therapy, agalmatophilia and tattoo removal: the latter the differential effects of single or double carotid endarterectomy.
1974, New Zealand Medical Journal, volume 79, page 8912 more examples
The most famous episode of agalmatophilia in the ancient world dates also to the early third century. It is recounted in the treatise Peri Knidou by Posidippus, probably the homonymous epigrammist of Pella, who was interested in works of art and whose activity dates to around 285-265.
2008, John Petropoulos, Greek Magic: Ancient, Medieval and Modern, page 24Interestingly, though, agalmatophilia (the erotic love of statues) is a recognized sexual attraction with a history of labeling as deviant (Blanshard 2010: 28–30). […] Perhaps, though, what we behold in agalmatophilia is a love of art gone too far rather than a queer love.
2016, Elahe Haschemi Yekani, Queer Futures: Reconsidering Ethics, Activism, and the Political
Origin
From the stem of Ancient Greek ἄγαλμα (ágalma, “statue”) + -philia.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish agalmatofilia
- agalmatofiliaparaphilia
French agalmatophilie
- agalmatophilieparaphilia
German Agalmatophilie
- Agalmatophilieparaphilia
Swedish agalmatofili
- agalmatofiliparaphilia
Cite this entry
agalmatophilia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agalmatophilia
“agalmatophilia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agalmatophilia. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “agalmatophilia,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agalmatophilia.
Source: agalmatophilia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.