philo-


Also found in: Medical, Acronyms, Wikipedia.

philo-

(word root) love
Examples of words with the root philo-: philogynist
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

philo-

or phil-
pref.
Having a strong affinity or preference for; loving: philoprogenitive.

[Greek, from philos, beloved, loving.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

philo-

or before a vowel

phil-

combining form
indicating a love of: philology; philanthropic.
[from Greek philos loving]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

philo-

a combining form with the meanings “loving,” “having an affinity for”: philology. Also, esp. before a vowel, phil-.
[< Greek, comb. of phílos loving, dear]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in periodicals archive ?
A: The antisemiteat least he isn't lying." This may be too cynical; closer to the bone is the saying that "a philo-Semite is an anti-Semite who loves Jews." That formulation helps to capture the sense that philo- and anti- share an unhealthy interest in Jews and an unreal notion of who and what Jews are.