epistemophilia

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noun

An excessive love of, or striving for, knowledge.

OriginAncient Greek ἐπιστήμη →
Scrabble 23
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Meanings

nounepistemophilia (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAn excessive love of, or striving for, knowledge.
  2. uncountablePsychoanalysisAs used by psychoanalyst Melanie Klein, epistemophilia—or, as she framed it, the "epistemophilic instinct"—is the wish to know, and is rooted in libido. Such instinct results from Oedipal conflicts in the child psyche.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἐπιστήμη“knowledge”
  2. Englishepistemophilia

From Ancient Greek ἐπιστήμη (epistḗmē, “knowledge”) + φίλια (phília, “love”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French épistémophilie
  • épistémophilieTranslations
Italian epistemofilia
  • epistemofiliaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

epistemophilia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistemophilia

MLA

“epistemophilia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistemophilia. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epistemophilia,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistemophilia.

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