pe·do·phil·ia
| \ ˌpe-də-ˈfi-lē-ə
, ˌpē-
\
, ˌpē-
\
Definition of pedophilia
: sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object
specifically
: a psychiatric disorder in which an adult has sexual fantasies about or engages in sexual acts with a prepubescent child
Other Words from pedophilia
pedophiliac
\
ˌpe-də-ˈfi-lē-ˌak
, ˌpē-
\
or pedophilic \
ˌpe-də-ˈfi-lik
, ˌpē-
\ adjective
, ˌpē-
\
or pedophilic \
ˌpe-də-ˈfi-lik
, ˌpē-
\ adjective
Learn More About pedophilia
Statistics for pedophilia
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Pedophilia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedophilia. Accessed 17 May. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
More Definitions for pedophilia
pedophilia
noun
pe·do·phil·ia
| \ ˌped-ə-ˈfil-ē-ə
, ˌpēd-
\
, ˌpēd-
\
variants:
or chiefly British paedophilia \
ˌpēd-
\
\
Medical Definition of pedophilia
: sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object
specifically
: a psychiatric disorder in which an adult has sexual fantasies about or engages in sexual acts with a prepubescent child
Test Your Vocabulary
Name That Color
-
- Name that color:
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Face Your Fears
Don't be scared to answer these questions about f...
Take the quiz
-
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP
You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
Take the quiz
-
Name Those Herbs and Spices
How many do you know?
Take the quiz
-
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
The faster you answer, the higher your score
Take the quiz
Share pedophilia
Time Traveler for pedophilia
The first known use of pedophilia was in 1906
See more words from the same year