cinephilia

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noun

Enthusiasm for films and the cinema.

Opposite
cinephobia
OriginAncient Greek φῐλῐ́ᾱ (phĭlĭ́ā) ← English cine- ← Proto-Indo-European *keyh₂- →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nouncinephilia (uncountable)
  1. uncountableEnthusiasm for films and the cinema.

    Loudly and proudly declaring your love of Letterboxd has become a way of demonstrating your superior cinephilia.

    2024 February 29, Jack King, “Why everyone you know is suddenly a Letterboxd head”, in GQ
    1 more example

    Perhaps it is not cinema that has ended but only cinephilia—the name of the very specific kind of love that cinema inspired. Each art breeds its fanatics.

    1996 February 25, Susan Sontag, “The Decay of Cinema”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

    Antonyms: cinephobia

Synonyms & antonyms

nounEnthusiasm for films and the cinema.

Opposite
cinephobia

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*keyh₂-
  2. Ancient Greekκῑνέω (kīnéō)
  3. Englishcine-
  4. Ancient Greekφῐλῐ́ᾱ (phĭlĭ́ā)
  5. Englishcinephilia

From cine- + -philia.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French cinéphilie
  • cinéphilieenthusiasm for films and the cinema
Greek σινεφιλία
  • σινεφιλία (sinefilía)enthusiasm for films and the cinema
Italian cinefilia
  • cinefiliaenthusiasm for films and the cinema
Polish kinomania
  • kinomaniaenthusiasm for films and the cinema
Portuguese cinefilia
  • cinefiliaenthusiasm for films and the cinema
Cite this entry
APA

cinephilia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cinephilia

MLA

“cinephilia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cinephilia. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cinephilia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cinephilia.

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