-phil-

Suffixes with the common part -phil- (-phile, -philia, -phily, -philic) are used to specify some kind of attraction or affinity to something. They are antonymic to suffixes -phob-.

Phil- (philo-) may also be used as a prefix with a similar meaning.

The suffix and prefix are derived from the Ancient Greek word philia (φιλία), "love, affection".

Biology

• Acidophilia, acidophile: Preference of acidic conditions. Antonym: Acidophobia, acidophobe
• Alkaliphilia, alkaliphile: Preference of alkaline environments.
• Anthophilia, anthophile, anthophilic: Attraction to flowers.
• Anthrophile, anthrophilic: Attracted to humans (e.g., parasites).
• Anemophily: A form of pollination whereby pollen is distributed by wind.
• Cryophilia, cryophilic, cryophile: Preference for cold environments, climates, objects and low temperatures; e.g., Protea cryophila (Snow Protea).
• Dendrophilia, dendrophilic, dendrophile: Preference of trees or other plants.
• Entomophilous: Adapted for pollination by insects.
• Extremophilia, extremophile: Preference of living extremal conditions for some microorganisms.
• Geophilia, geophilic, geophile Referring to organisms that prefer the soil.
• Halophilia, halophile: Attraction to salt or salt-water.
• Heliophilia, heliophile: Attraction to sunlight.
• Hydrophilia: Attraction to water.
• Hyperthermophilia, hyperthermophile, hyperthermophilic: Organisms that thrive in extremely hot environments.
• Limnophilia, limnophile, limnophilic: Preference of ponds or marshes.
• Lithophilia, lithophile, litophilic: Preference or affinity to stones.
• Mesophilia, mesophile: Preference of moderate temperatures in microorganisms.
• Microaerophilia, microaerophile, microaerophilic: Organisms that can tolerate or require environments containing low levels of oxygen.
• Myrmecophilia: The names of orchids of genus myrmecophila, "love of ants"
• Nemophilia: Love of the woods and forests, in the name of the genus Nemophilia of flowers.
• Necrophilia necrophile: Attraction to the dead
• Nyctophilia: An attraction to darkness or night; finding relaxation or comfort in the darkness. Preferring night time activities to day time activities.
• Ombrophilia, ombrophile: Affinity to large amounts of rainfall.
• Petrophilia, petrophile, petrophilic: Preference of living or spending time in rocky areas.
• Photophilia, photophile, photophilic: Preference of living or spending time in lighted conditions.
• Pluviophilia, pluviophile, pluviophilic: Affinity to rain.
• Psammophile, psammophyte: A plant loving sandy areas.
• Psychrophilia, psychrophile: Preference of cold temperatures.
• Rheophilia: Preference of living in running water.
• Rhizophilia: Preference of living on roots.
• Sciaphilia, skiaphilia: Preference of living in shady or dark areas (as opposed to photophilia).
• Thermophilia: Love of high temperatures; thriving in high temperatures (e.g. microbes).
• Tropophilia, tropophile, tropophilous: Preference of seasonal extremes of climate.
• Vorarephilia: Sexual attraction to being eaten by or eating humans.
• Xenophilia: An affection for unknown, foreign objects, or people. Antonym: Xenophobia.
• Xerophilia: Love of living or spending time in very dry conditions.
• Xylophilia: Love of wood.
• Zoophily: A form of pollination whereby pollen is distributed by animals.

Chemistry and physics

• Chromophilous: Staining easily
• Electrophile: A substance having an affinity for electrons or negative charge
• Hydrophilic: (of a substance) having a tendency to interact with or be dissolved by water and other polar substances
• Lipophilic: (of a substance) attracted to lipids, as in cell membranes.
• Litophilic: (of a substance) In microfluidics, enriching on channel walls instead of in the middle of the channels. (e.g. air bubbles)
• Nucleophile: A substance having an affinity for positive charge; antonym of electrophile.

Hobbies

• Audiophilia: Love of high-fidelity sound reproduction
• Arctophilia: Love of teddy bears; especially, an interest in collecting teddy bears
• Bibliophilia: Love of books
• Cartophilia: Love of maps
• Cinephilia: Love of cinema and film
• Philately: The study of stamps and postal history and other related items
• Glossophilia: Love of languages
• Icthyophilia: Love of fish
• Logophilia: Love of words - Logophiles may be interested in word games, such as crosswords, or Scrabble, and in the extreme, derive enjoyment from reading things commonly given less notice, such as labels
• Metrophilia: Love of the metro rail or subway systems
• Neophilia: Love of the latest novelties and trends
• Oenophilia: Love of wine
• Ornithophilia: Love of birds
• Taphophilia: Love of graves, cemeteries and funerals
• Technophilia: Love of technology

National or ethnic

• Anglophile: a non-English person who is extremely fond of all things English. Antonym: Anglophobe
• Austrophile: a fan of Austrian culture.
• Celtophile: a fan of Celtic culture.
• Europhile: a person who wants to increase cooperation between governments within the European Union. Antonym: Eurosceptic
• Fennophile: a fan of Finnish culture.
• Francophile or Gallophile: a fan of French culture. Antonym: Francophobe
• Germanophile or Teutophile: a fan of German culture. Antonym: Germanophobe or teutophobia
• Hellenophile: a fan of Greek culture (i.e. someone prone to philhellenism)
• Hibernophile: a lover of Ireland or Irish culture
• Hispanophile: a lover of Spanish (Spain) culture(s) and people.
• Indophile: a fan of India
• Italophile a fan of Italy. Antonym: Italophobia.
• Japanophile: a non-Japanese person with a strong interest in Japan or Japanese culture. Antonym: Japanophobe.
• Judeophile: a lover of Jews or Jewish culture. Antonym: Judeophobe or antisemite.
• Negrophilia: a term used in the 1920s and 30s for the interest in Europe for African and African-American culture
• Russophilia: love of Russia and/or Russians. Antonym: Russophobe.
• Sinophile: a non-Chinese person with a strong interest in China or Chinese culture. Antonym: Sinophobe
• Slavophile: a fan of Slavic culture.
• Suecophile: someone with a great interest in the Swedish language and culture

Other

• Biophilia hypothesis
• Haemophilia: A disease relating to blood clotting
• Homophile: A term used to refer to gay people or those who supported homosexuality, prior to gay liberation and other LGBT social movements.
• Pluviophile: Love of the rain
• Retrophilia: Love of things of the past
• Theophilia: Love of a god

Prefix phil-

• Philadelphia
• Philanderer
• Philanthropy
• Philately
• Philhellenism, the love of Greek culture (this may also be called hellenophilia)
• Philology
• Philomath
• Philosophy
• Phillumenism

See also

• List of paraphilias