Meanings
alternative scoptophilia · alternative skoptophilia
- uncountablehuman sciencesA paraphilia for observing sexually stimulating scenes, as a substitute for participation in a sexual relationship.
1 more example
At first feeling somewhat inhibited in his watching by Sam's presence (perhaps due to an inferiority complex), Jake freely indulges in his scopophilia once the other man is gone, growing excited by the sight of this woman whose dance includes undressing, donning some jewels, and then stroking herself.
2015, Douglas Keesey, Brian De Palma's Split-Screen: A Life in FilmSynonyms: scopophilism
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA paraphilia for observing sexually stimulating scenes, as a substitute for participation in a sexual relationship.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*speḱ-
- Proto-Indo-European*spéḱyeti
- Proto-Hellenic*sképt͏̌omai
- Ancient Greekσκέπτομαι (sképtomai)
- Ancient Greekσκοπός (skopós)
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰil-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰil-o-s
- Ancient Greekφῐ́λος (phĭ́los)
- Ancient Greekφῐλῐ́ᾱ (phĭlĭ́ā)
- Englishscopophilia
From Ancient Greek σκοπός (skopós, “watcher”) + English -philia. First attested in the 1920s. The alternative spellings scoptophilia and skoptophilia originated as mistakes in the translations of the works of Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud (1856–1939).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Portuguese escopofilia
- escopofiliaTranslations
Spanish escopofilia
- escopofiliaTranslations
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with scopophilia
Cite this entry
scopophilia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scopophilia
“scopophilia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scopophilia. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scopophilia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scopophilia.
Source: scopophilia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.