phil
GreekVariants
Related Roots
About This Root
From Greek philos (loving, fond of). A prefix and suffix for love and devotion: philosophy (love of wisdom), philanthropy (love of humanity), philharmonic (love of music), philology (love of words). As a suffix, -phile denotes an enthusiast (bibliophile). The opposite is -phobe (from phobos, fear).
Associated Words
hemophilia
A hereditary disorder causing uncontrolled bleeding
philanthropic
Characterized by charitable giving and concern for human welfare
philanthropy
Charitable giving and efforts to promote human well-being
philatelist
A person who collects and studies postage stamps
philately
The collection and study of postage stamps
philharmonic
A full-size symphony orchestra; devoted to music
philology
The scholarly study of historical languages and texts
philosopher
A person who studies philosophy and seeks wisdom
philosophy
The study of existence and knowledge; a personal set of guiding beliefs
zoophilist
A person who loves and cares for animals
zoophilous
Fond of animals; pollinated by animals