-philiac

1. a combining form occurring in personal nouns that correspond to nouns ending in -philia:

   hemophiliac; necrophiliac.

Word History and Origins

Origin of -philiac¹

From Greek -philiakos; -philia, -ac

When To Use

What does -philiac mean?

The combining form -philiac is used like a suffix to indicate the personal noun form of words that use the form -phile, meaning “love or liking,” "unnatural attraction," or "tendency."The form -philiac roughly means "someone with a liking, tendency, or attraction." It is occasionally used in scientific and everyday terms, especially in pathology.The form -philiac comes from Greek -philiakos, which roughly means “friend.”While -philiac doesn’t have any variants, it is related to six other combining forms: -phile, -philia, -philic, -philism, -philous, and -phily. Want to know more? Check out our Words that Use articles for each form.