Meanings
adjectivephilobatic (comparative more philobatic, superlative most philobatic)
comparative more philobatic · superlative most philobatic
- human sciencesRelating to or characteristic of a philobat (someone who enjoys handling challenging and dangerous situations on their own).
Coordinate term: ocnophilic
1 more example
The philobatic environment consists of friendly spaces littered with unpredictable objects; the ocnophilic world consists of objects 'separated by horrid empty spaces'.
2017, Lynda Nead, The Tiger in the Smoke: Art and Culture in Post-War Britain, New Haven, C.T.; London: Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 92
Origin
From philobat + -ic. Coined by Hungarian psychoanalyst Michael Balint in 1955.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
philobatic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/philobatic
MLA
“philobatic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/philobatic. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “philobatic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/philobatic.
Source: philobatic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.