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Definition of pedophilia

pedophilia

/ˌpɛd.əˈfɪl.i.ə/
(UK: paedophilia)
ped · o · phil · i · a
Adjective:pedophilic
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pedophilia Lexical Profile

pedophilia Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

American A psychiatric disorder (paraphilia) in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children.

Example

"Forensic psychologists study the clinical criteria and behavioral indicators associated with pedophilia."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for pedophilia

Word Nuance & Usage

In clinical psychiatry, pedophilia specifically denotes a sexual interest in prepubescent children, whereas hebephilia refers to early pubescent children and ephebophilia refers to mid-to-late adolescents; in legal and everyday usage, however, the term is often used more broadly.

• Rhymes for pedophilia

• Nearby Words

pedigreed
pedometer
pedophile
pedophilia
pedophilic
pedorthics
pedorthist

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the late 19th century by Austrian psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing as German Pädophilie, from Ancient Greek pais ('child') and philia ('love, affection').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Pedophilia. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/pedophilia
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