bibliophile
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bibliophile
Explanation
You can call a book lover a bibliophile. If you find it impossible to leave a book store without buying at least one book, you might be a bibliophile. A bibliophile usually has a huge collection of books and loves nothing more than browsing in a used book shop or a library. A love of books or a deep knowledge about them makes a person a bibliophile. The earliest use of the word bibliophile was in 1820s France, and it came from the Greek prefix biblio, or "book," and the word philos, or "friend." If you consider books to be your true friends, you are definitely a bibliophile.
Vocabulary lists containing bibliophile
All You Need is Love: Amor and Phil
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
ASVAB Word Knowledge
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Book Words for Book Worms
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Daunt is a bibliophile and owns a small chain of eponymous independent bookstores in England.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
He was a Christian Zionist and bibliophile, who by all accounts knew the land of Israel better than many of the Jews who lived there.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2023
After a few years of joining the Kindle cult, I am back to my old bibliophile ways.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2023
Carmen grew up devouring her opera-loving, bibliophile father’s books — he had a capacious library of the classics — and “in a Catholic bubble,” she told The Financial Times in 2020.
From New York Times ● Oct. 29, 2022
Aldus had powerful supporters in these ventures, among them being Jean Grolier, the famous bibliophile, who for many years was resident in Italy as Treasurer of the Duchy of Milan.
From Fine Books by Alfred W. (Alfred William) Pollard
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
