variants or less commonly Anglophil
: a person who greatly admires or favors England and things English

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Even after fighting two wars against Britain, Americans continued to regard England with more fondness than perhaps any other country. For much of our history, Americans have sought to imitate the British in any number of ways—American movie stars even used to adopt British accents—and the two countries have long been close allies. But Britain isn't the only country Americans fall in love with; Francophiles (France-lovers), Germanophiles (Germany-lovers), and Italophiles (Italy-lovers) are also common. In the 19th century, Russian Slavophiles called for rejecting European culture in favor of homegrown Russian culture (Slavs being those who speak a Slavic language such as Russian or Polish). Occasionally phil- words are turned around; thus, someone who is philosemitic is a lover of Jewish culture.

Examples of Anglophile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Is this proof that Taylor still is and will always be an Anglophile? Radhika Seth, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2026 His work is often set in some fantastical Old World locale, a fantasy of manor homes on the moors filled with antiques and rare books, an Anglophile and Francophile’s fantasy of Europe. Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025 Trump is an Anglophile of partial British heritage—his mother Mary was born in Scotland—and so his love of the royal family is deep and sincere. Alexander Larman, Time, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from anglo- + -phile

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Anglophile was in 1883

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Cite this Entry

“Anglophile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Anglophile. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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