necrophilia

[nek-ruh-fil-ee-uh]

noun

Psychiatry.

1. an erotic attraction to corpses.

necrophilia

/ ˌnɛkrəʊˈfɪlɪə, ˈnɛkrəʊˌfaɪl /

noun

1. Also called: necromania.  necrophilism. sexual attraction for or sexual intercourse with dead bodies

Other Word Forms

• necrophilic adjective
• necrophiliac adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of necrophilia¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1890–95; necro-, -philia

Example Sentences

Gein ultimately confessed to murdering Hogan and Worden and robbing more than 40 graves, though he denied cannibalism and necrophilia claims.

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In the hours before killing his family, Prosper researched shotgun wounds, necrophilia and the weather on the day of the attack.

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The women, the judge said, "were preyed upon and targeted by a white supremacist who was acting upon his homicidal necrophilia".

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Thus American society stands broadly convicted of necrophilia — as opposed to biophilia.

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He is serving a concurrent 12-year term after admitting dozens of instances of necrophilia that the prosecutor in the case said had never been seen on that scale before in a British court.

Read more on Seattle Times