Standard Lemma guide

xenophilia

noun · 2 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

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  • rhymes with -ɪliə

1

noun

Meaning 1

An attraction to or love of foreign people, manners or culture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Love (especially sexual love) between humans and extraterrestrials.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: literature, media, publishing, science-fiction

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Hellenic *ksénwos Ancient Greek ξένϝος (xénwos) Ancient Greek ξένος (xénos)der. English xeno- Proto-Indo-European *bhil- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *bhil-o-s Ancient Greek φῐ́λος (phĭ́los) Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh2 Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek φῐλῐ́ᾱ (phĭlĭ́ā)der. English -philia English xenophilia From xeno- + -philia.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ксенофилия (ksenofilija) — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Catalan: xenofília — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Dutch: xenofilie — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Finnish: ksenofilia — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • French: xénophilie — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Georgian: ქსენოფილია (ksenopilia) — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • German: Xenophilie — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Greek: ξενοφιλία (xenofilía) — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Italian: esterofilia — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Northern Kurdish: zenofîlî — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Northern Kurdish: biyanîdostî — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Polish: ksenofilia — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Portuguese: xenofilia — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Romanian: xenofilie — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Russian: ксенофи́лия (ksenofílija) — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Russian: ксенофили́я (ksenofilíja) — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Spanish: xenofilia — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture
  • Ukrainian: ксенофілі́я (ksenofilíja) — attraction or love for foreign people, manners or culture