philhellene

[ fil-hel-een ]

noun

1. a friend or supporter of the Greeks.

philhellene

/ ˌfɪlhɛˈliːnɪk; fɪlˈhɛliːn; fɪlˈhɛlɪˌnɪzəm; fɪlˈhɛlɪnɪst /

noun

1. a lover of Greece and Greek culture
2. European history a supporter of the cause of Greek national independence

Derived Forms

• philhellenism, noun
• philhellenic, adjective

Other Words From

• phil·hel·len·ic [fil-he-, len, -ik, -, lee, -nik], adjective
• phil·hel·len·ism [fil-, hel, -, uh, -niz-, uh, m], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of philhellene¹

First recorded in 1815–25, philhellene is from the Greek word philéllēn Greek-loving. See phil-, Hellene