philander
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have philanderedperfect
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has philanderedperfect 3rd person singular
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is philanderingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been philanderingperfect progressive
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are philanderingprogressive
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philanderingparticiple
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am philanderingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been philanderingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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philanderssingular 3rd person
Past
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had philanderedperfect
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was philanderingprogressive singular
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philanderedparticiple
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had been philanderingperfect progressive
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were philanderingprogressive plural
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philanderedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of philander
First recorded in 1675–85; from Greek phílandros “one who loves” (of a woman, loving her husband); see philo-, andro-; later used in fiction as a proper name for a lover, and apparently mistaken as “a man who loves”
Explanation
To philander is to flirt or casually date a large number of people. If you philander, you don't have one steady, serious relationship, but instead dabble in many casual ones. It's most common to say that a man philanders when he is excessively flirtatious or cheats on his partner with many other people. The word has both a sense of sneakiness and lightheartedness, and it comes from the now-obsolete noun philander, "husband" or "lover." The name Philander, in fact, was popular in 18th century literature for the character of a lover, from the Greek word philandros, "with love for the people."
Vocabulary lists containing philander
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sylvia, what hast thou this night to add to the soul of thy PHILANDER.
From Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister by Behn, Aphra
Send, my angel, something from you to make the hours less tedious: consider me, love me, and be as impatient as I, that you may the sooner find at your feet your everlasting lover, PHILANDER.
From Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister by Behn, Aphra
Oh, my Sylvia, I shall one day recompense all thy goodness, all thy bravery, thy love and thy suffering for thy eternal lover and slave, PHILANDER.
From Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister by Behn, Aphra
It will be an age, till I hear from you, and receive the news of the health of Sylvia, than which two blessings nothing will be more welcome to, generous Octavio, your PHILANDER.
From Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister by Behn, Aphra
I will say no more, nor give your love instructions, but wait impatiently here the life or death of your PHILANDER.
From Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister by Behn, Aphra
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
