philander

verb

phi·​lan·​der fə-ˈlan-dər 

philandered; philandering fə-ˈlan-d(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

: to have casual or illicit sex with a person or with many people

especially : to be sexually unfaithful to one's spouse

—usually used of a man

… her philandering brother-in-law; and … the schoolteacher he philanders with.

—Judith Crist

Synonyms

• cheat

Examples of philander in a Sentence

he can't seem to stop philandering, even now that he's on his fifth marriage

Recent Examples on the Web

Honey is typically in the business of infidelity, taking cases involving suspicious spouses and their philandering partners. —Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025

The story takes a turn when Vinita’s philandering ex-boyfriend, Vincent (George Basil), arrives unexpectedly with a baby, challenging her emotional defenses. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2025

Sue Ellen, who was married to philandering oil tycoon J.R. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025

But Hines new home fulfills another big need: To keep her close to her notoriously philandering husband in Washington, D.C., so that won’t be tempted to embroil himself in yet another cheating scandal, according to Oppenheimer. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from obsolete philander lover, philanderer, probably from the name Philander

First Known Use

1737, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for philander

• bystander
• commander
• expander
• highlander
• leander
• meander
• brander
• candor
• dander
• gander
• grander
• hander

Kids Definition

philander

verb

phi·​lan·​der fə-ˈlan-dər 

philandered; philandering -d(ə-)riŋ 

: to be sexually unfaithful to one's wife

philanderer

-dər-ər 

noun