Meanings
comparative more philhellene · superlative most philhellene
- Philhellenic.First known use 19th c.
plural philhellenes
- A lover of Greece or Greek culture.First known use 19th c.
- historicalSpecifically, a supporter of Greek independence, especially during the Greek war of independence in 1821-29.First known use 19th c.
Some historians have suggested that modern ‘humanitarian intervention’ began with the philhellenes in Greece in the 1820.
2019, Roderick Beaton, Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation, Penguin, published 2020, page 95
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivecharacterized by a love of Greece and Grecian things
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekφιλέλλην
- Englishphilhellene
From Ancient Greek φιλέλλην (philéllēn), corresponding to phil- + Hellene.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek φιλέλλην
- φιλέλλην (philéllēn)lover of Greek culture
Finnish hellenisti, filhelleeni
- hellenistilover of Greek culture
- filhelleenisupporter of Greek independence
French philhellène, philhellène
- philhellènelover of Greek culture
- philhellènesupporter of Greek independence
German Philhellene, Philhellenin
- Philhellenelover of Greek culture
- Philhelleninlover of Greek culture
- Philhellenesupporter of Greek independence
- Philhelleninsupporter of Greek independence
Greek φιλέλληνας, φιλέλληνας
- φιλέλληνας (filéllinas)lover of Greek culture
- φιλέλληνας (filéllinas)supporter of Greek independence
Cite this entry
philhellene. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/philhellene
“philhellene.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/philhellene. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “philhellene,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/philhellene.
Source: philhellene on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.