Standard Lemma guide

lycanthropy

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • lī-kăn′thrə-pē
  • Received-Pronunciation: /laɪ̯ˈkæn.θɹə.piː/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /lʌɪ̯-/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-ˈkan-/
  • Canada, General-American: /laɪ̯ˈkæn.θɹə.pi/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /lɑe̯ˈkæn.θɹə.piː/
  • New-Zealand: /lɑe̯ˈkɛn.θɹə.piː/
  • Scotland: /laɪ̯ˈkan.θɹə.pi/
  • Scotland: /lʌi̯-/
  • Scotland: /ləi̯-/
  • Scotland: /-θɹʌ-/
  • rhymes with -ænθɹəpi

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being a lycanthrope (or werewolf), a person who can shapeshift between the form of a human being and a wolf, often said to happen involuntarily during a full moon; werewolfdom.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: human-sciences, mysticism, mythology, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: werewolfdom, werewolfism

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The state of being a person who can shapeshift between the form of a human being and an animal, whether or not it is a wolf.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, uncountable, usually

Topics: human-sciences, mysticism, mythology, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: therianthropy

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A delusion in which one believes oneself to be a wolf or other wild animal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

(folklore) the magical ability of a person to assume the characteristics of a wolf

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: magical ability, magical power

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek λῠκᾰνθρωπῐ́ᾱ (lŭkănthrōpĭ́ā), from λῠκᾰ́νθρωπος (lŭkắnthrōpos, “wolfman”). By surface analysis, lycanthrope + -y (abstract noun suffix).

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: licantropia — act of shapeshifting
  • Finnish: lykantropia — act of shapeshifting
  • French: lycanthropie — act of shapeshifting
  • Middle French: lycanthropie — act of shapeshifting
  • Galician: licantropía — act of shapeshifting
  • German: Lykanthropie — act of shapeshifting
  • Greek: λυκανθρωπία (lykanthropía) — act of shapeshifting
  • Ancient Greek: λῠκᾰνθρωπῐ́ᾱ (lŭkănthrōpĭ́ā) — act of shapeshifting
  • Hungarian: likantrópia — act of shapeshifting
  • Malay: likantropi — act of shapeshifting
  • Polish: likantropia — act of shapeshifting
  • Portuguese: licantropia — act of shapeshifting
  • Russian: ликантро́пия (likantrópija) — act of shapeshifting
  • Spanish: licantropía — act of shapeshifting
  • Turkish: likantropi — act of shapeshifting
  • Ukrainian: лікантропі́я (likantropíja) — act of shapeshifting
  • Volapük: lükantrop — act of shapeshifting