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

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

Philia ( ) as an ancient Greek word for love refers to brotherly love, including friendship and affection. This contrast to the ancient Greek terms Eros, or sexual/romantic love, and agap , or detached, spiritual love. English usage differs in some cases from the etymological use, and several of these words refer in English not to brotherly love but to sexual attraction.

The suffix "-phile" (or, in a few cases, -philiac) applies to someone or something with one of these attractions.

The suffix "-philic" describes the property of being attracted to something.

The less common suffix "-phily" is synonymous with "-philia".

There are five major areas of usage of this suffix: biology, sexology, chemistry/physics, hobbies, and attitude to specific nations, with occasional coinage in other areas.

Biology

• acidophilia / acidophile: Preference of acidic conditions
• 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/attracted to salt or salt-water.
• heliophilia / heliophile: Attraction/attracted to sunlight.
• hydrophilia: Attraction to water.
• hyperthermophilia / hyperthermophile / hyperthermophilic: Describing organisms that thrive in extremely hot environments.
• limnophilia / limnophile / limnophilic: Preference of ponds or marshes.
• lithophilia / lithophile / litophilic: Preference/affinity to stones.
• mesophilia / mesophile: Preference of moderate temperatures in microorganisms.
• microaerophilia / microaerophile / Microaerophilic: of organisms that can tolerate or require environments containing low levels of oxygen.
• myrmecophilia: in names of orchids of genus myrmecophila, "love of ants"
• nemophilia: Love of the woods/forests, in the name of the genus Nemophilia of flowers.
• necrophilia necrophile: attraction to the dead
• nyctophilia: A preference for darkness or night.
• ombrophilia / ombrophile: Affinity/affined 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.
• psammophile: A plant loving sandy areas (psammophyte).
• psychrophilia / psychrophile: Preference of cold temperatures.
• rheophilia: Preference of living in running water.
• rhizophilia: Preference of living on roots.
• sciaphilia or 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.
• 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
• 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.
• hydrophilic: (of a substance) having a tendency to interact with or be dissolved by water and other polar substances

Hobbies

• audiophilia: Love of high-fidelity sound reproduction
• arctophilia: Love of teddy bears; especially, an interest in collecting teddy bears
• bibliophilia: Love of books
• cinephilia: Love of cinema and film
• glossophilia: Love of languages
• horolophilia: Love of timepieces, specifically wristwatches.
• 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
• necrophilia: Love of past peoples
• neophilia: Love of the latest novelties and trends
• oenophilia: Love of wine
• ornithophilia: Love of birds
• schediophilia: being attracted to cartoon or animated characters.
• taphophilia: Love of graves, cemeteries and funerals
• technophilia: Love of technology
• turophilia/turophile: Love of cheese / connoisseur of cheese

National

• Americophile: rarely used, but Americo- is the combining form according to the Oxford English Dictionary, which gives Americomania, Americophobia as examples.
• Anglophile: a non-English person who is extremely fond of all things English. Antonym: Anglophobe
• Cymrophile: a fan of Welsh culture (alternative: Cambrophile). Antonym: Cymrophobe
• Francophile, a fan of French culture. Antonym: Francophobe
• Europhile: a person who wants to increase cooperation between governments within the European Union. Antonym: Eurosceptic
• Germanophile, a fan of German culture. Antonym: Germanophobe
• Hellenophile, a fan of Greek culture
• Hibernophile: a lover of Ireland or Irish culture.
• Indophile, a fan of India
• Islamophile, a fan of Islam and Islamic culture
• Japanophile: a non-Japanese person with a strong interest in Japan or Japanese culture. Antonym: Japanophobe.
• Lusophile: a fan of Portugal or Portuguese things. Antonym: Lusophobe
• Russophilia: love of Russia and/or Russians. Antonym: Russophobe.
• Pakophile, a fan of Pakistan
• Semitophile, love of Jews and Judaism. Antonym: Anti-semitism
• Sinophile: a non-Chinese person with a strong interest in China or Chinese culture. Antonym: Sinophobe

Other

• biophilia hypothesis
• haemophilia: A disease relating to blood clotting
• See List of paraphilias
• retrophilia: Love of things of the past
• theophilia: Love of a god

Prefix phil-

• Philately
• Phillumenism
• Philosophy
• Philology
• Philomath
• Philanthropy
• Philanderer
• Philadelphia
• Philhellenism, the love of Greek culture

da:-fil de:-philie es:Filia eu:Filia id:Philia ka: