gynephilia
|gy-ne-phi-li-a|
/ˌɡaɪnəˈfɪliə/
attraction to women
Etymology
'gynephilia' originates from Greek, specifically the roots 'gynē' meaning 'woman' and 'philia' meaning 'love' or 'affection'.
'gynephilia' is a modern English coinage formed from Ancient Greek elements (gynē + philia) via New Latin/medical terminology in the 19th–20th century, rather than descending from a single historical English word.
Initially the roots conveyed a general sense of 'love or affinity for women'; over time the combined form came to be used specifically for sexual or erotic attraction to women in clinical and academic usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
sexual attraction to women or females (used regardless of the subject's own gender identity).
Clinical researchers sometimes use the term gynephilia to describe attraction patterns in study participants.
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Noun 2
a technical descriptor in sexology and related research for a preference or orientation toward adult females; often used in academic or clinical contexts.
In taxonomy of sexual preferences, gynephilia is contrasted with androphilia.
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Last updated: 2025/10/12 02:22