SUFFIX -phile, -ophile
occurs in words which refer to someone who has a very strong liking for people or things of a particular kind. For example, a Francophile admires France and the French.
phil|har|mon|ic /f I lɑː r mɒ n I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] A philharmonic orchestra is a large orchestra which plays classical music. □ The Lithuanian Philharmonic Orchestra played Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. ● N‑COUNT Philharmonic is also a noun. □ He will conduct the Vienna Philharmonic in the final concert of the season.
Phil|ip|pine /f I l I piːn/ ADJ Philippine means belonging or relating to the Philippines, or to their people or culture.
phil|is|tine /f I l I sta I n, [AM ] -stiːn/ (philistines )
1 N‑COUNT If you call someone a philistine , you mean that they do not care about or understand good art, music, or literature, and do not think that they are important. [DISAPPROVAL ]
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use philistine to describe people or organizations who you think do not care about or understand the value of good art, music, or literature. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a philistine government that allowed the arts to decline.
phil|is|tin|ism /f I l I st I n I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Philistinism is the attitude or quality of not caring about, understanding, or liking good art, music, or literature. [DISAPPROVAL ]
phi|lol|ogy /f I lɒ lədʒi/ N‑UNCOUNT Philology is the study of words, especially the history and development of the words in a particular language or group of languages. ● phi|lolo|gist (philologists ) N‑COUNT □ He is a philologist, specialising in American poetry.
phi|loso|pher /f I lɒ səfə r / (philosophers )
1 N‑COUNT A philosopher is a person who studies or writes about philosophy. □ …the Greek philosopher Plato.
2 N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a philosopher , you mean that they think deeply and seriously about life and other basic matters.
philo|soph|ic /f I ləsɒ f I k/ ADJ Philosophic means the same as philosophical .
philo|sophi|cal /f I ləsɒ f I k ə l/
1 ADJ Philosophical means concerned with or relating to philosophy. □ He was not accustomed to political or philosophical discussions. ● philo|sophi|cal|ly /f I ləsɒ f I kli/ ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ Wiggins says he's not a coward, but that he's philosophically opposed to war.
2 ADJ Someone who is philosophical does not get upset when disappointing or disturbing things happen. [APPROVAL ] □ [+ about ] Lewis has grown philosophical about life. ● philo|sophi|cal|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ She says philosophically: 'It could have been far worse.'
phi|loso|phize /f I lɒ səfa I z/ (philosophizes , philosophizing , philosophized ) in BRIT, also use philosophise VERB If you say that someone is philosophizing , you mean that they are talking or thinking about important subjects, sometimes instead of doing something practical. □ [V ] Of course these leaders do more than preach and philosophize. □ [V + about/on ] …a tendency to philosophize about racial harmony. [Also V with quote] ● phi|loso|phiz|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ The General was anxious to cut short the philosophizing and get down to more urgent problems.
phi|loso|phy ◆◇◇ /f I lɒ səfi/ (philosophies )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Philosophy is the study or creation of theories about basic things such as the nature of existence, knowledge, and thought, or about how people should live. □ He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge. □ …traditional Chinese philosophy.
2 N‑COUNT A philosophy is a particular set of ideas that a philosopher has. □ [+ of ] …the philosophies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
3 N‑COUNT [N that] A philosophy is a particular theory that someone has about how to live or how to deal with a particular situation. □ The best philosophy is to change your food habits to a low-sugar, high-fibre diet. [Also + of ]
phish|ing /f I ʃ I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Phishing is the practice of trying to trick people into giving secret financial information by sending emails that look as if they come from a bank. The details are then used to steal people's money, or to steal their identity in order to commit crimes. [COMPUTING ]
phlegm /fle m/ N‑UNCOUNT Phlegm is the thick yellowish substance that develops in your throat and at the back of your nose when you have a cold.
phleg|mat|ic /flegmæ t I k/ ADJ Someone who is phlegmatic stays calm even when upsetting or exciting things happen. [FORMAL ]
SUFFIX -phobe, -ophobe
occurs in words which refer to a very strong, irrational fear or hatred of people or things of a particular kind. For example, a germophobe has a strong fear of germs.
pho|bia /foʊ biə/ (phobias ) N‑COUNT A phobia is a very strong irrational fear or hatred of something. □ [+ about/of ] The man had a phobia about flying.
SUFFIX -phobia
occurs in words which refer to someone who has a very strong, irrational fear or hatred of people or things of a particular kind. For example, someone who shows signs of arachnophobia has a strong fear of spiders.
pho|bic /foʊ b I k/ (phobics )
1 ADJ A phobic feeling or reaction results from or is related to a strong, irrational fear or hatred of something. □ Many children acquire a phobic horror of dogs.
2 ADJ Someone who is phobic has a strong, irrational fear or hatred of something. □ [+ about ] In Victorian times people were phobic about getting on trains. They weren't used to it. ● N‑COUNT Phobic is also a noun. □ Social phobics quake at the thought of meeting strangers.
SUFFIX -phobic
occurs in words which refer to a very strong, irrational fear or hatred of people or things of a particular kind. For example, someone who is technophobic has a strong dislike of new technology.