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philately

[ fi-lat-l-ee ]
/ fɪˈlæt l i /

noun

the collecting of stamps and other postal matter as a hobby or an investment.
the study of postage stamps, revenue stamps, stamped envelopes, postmarks, postal cards, covers, and similar material relating to postal or fiscal history.

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Origin of philately

1860–65; <French philatélie<Greek phil-phil- + atéleia freedom from charges (taken to mean recipient's freedom from delivery charges by virtue of the stamp which sender affixed to the letter), literally, want of taxation, equivalent to a-a-6 + tél(os) tax + -eia-y3

OTHER WORDS FROM philately

phil·a·tel·ic [fil-uh-tel-ik], /ˌfɪl əˈtɛl ɪk/, phil·a·tel·i·cal, adjectivephil·a·tel·i·cal·ly, adverbphi·lat·e·list [fi-lat-l-ist], /fɪˈlæt l ɪst/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for philately

British Dictionary definitions for philately

philately
/ (fɪˈlætəlɪ) /

noun

the collection and study of postage stamps and all related material concerned with postal history

Derived forms of philately

philatelic (ˌfɪləˈtɛlɪk), adjectivephilatelically, adverbphilatelist, noun

Word Origin for philately

C19: from French philatélie, from philo- + Greek ateleia exemption from charges (here referring to stamps), from a- 1 + telos tax, payment
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012