philander
Americanverb (used without object)
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philanders,
present (3rd person singular)
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philandered,
past participle, past
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philandering
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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philandersimple
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philanderssimple
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have philanderedperfect
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has philanderedperfect
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am philanderingprogressive
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are philanderingprogressive
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is philanderingprogressive
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have been philanderingperfect progressive
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has been philanderingperfect progressive
Past
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philanderedsimple
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had philanderedperfect
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was philanderingprogressive
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were philanderingprogressive
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had been philanderingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of philander
First recorded in 1675–85; from Greek phílandros “one who loves” (of a woman, loving her husband); see philo-, andro-; later used in fiction as a proper name for a lover, and apparently mistaken as “a man who loves”
Explanation
To philander is to flirt or casually date a large number of people. If you philander, you don't have one steady, serious relationship, but instead dabble in many casual ones. It's most common to say that a man philanders when he is excessively flirtatious or cheats on his partner with many other people. The word has both a sense of sneakiness and lightheartedness, and it comes from the now-obsolete noun philander, "husband" or "lover." The name Philander, in fact, was popular in 18th century literature for the character of a lover, from the Greek word philandros, "with love for the people."
Vocabulary lists containing philander
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.
See Examples For:
"It says 'accept certain inalienable truths - prices will rise, politicians will philander and you too will get old'."
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
He did not drink or philander; his first marriage ended in an amicable divorce after twelve years, and his second lasted until his death in 1965.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Don’t mean to have any. It’s fun to watch other people philander, but I should feel like a fool doing it myself,” said Jo, looking alarmed at the thought.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
Philip was a humane and generous-minded man, and understood that with a certain temperament it might be annoying to have one's ward philander with a king, so he did his best to console the courtier.
From Orientations by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Human nature is human nature still, whether it fawn in the court or philander in the grove.
From Rattlin the Reefer by Frederick Marryat
Mine uncle, on his bowling-green, Still storms a breach in Flanders; And faithful Trim, starch, tall, and lean, With Bridget still philanders.
From A Selection from the Works of Frederick Locker by Hannah Jane Locker-Lampson
I mean that she is clever and very rich, and philanders with philanthropy.
From Hollyhock A Spirit of Mischief by W. (William) Rainey
While the men in the family philandered, Eunice spurned the wooing of her faithful suitor Sargent Shriver for seven years and came close to taking vows of chastity.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 13, 2018
In Paris, Lulu philandered crazily with gamblers, procurers and swindlers.
From Time Magazine Archive
If you had not gone and frightened her, they might have philandered on all this time, till the whole affair died of its own silliness.’
From Hopes and Fears or, scenes from the life of a spinster by Charlotte Mary Yonge
You remember how Cecil Cumberland philandered after a certain lady of our acquaintance last winter, and how unremitting were his attentions?
From Princess by M. G. (Mary Greenway) McClelland
In half an hour he and Aunt Elizabeth had philandered as deep as a six months' flirtation; and I must say that they have kept at it with an art amounting almost to sincerity.
From The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews
Born in 1929 to a wealthy and conservative family -- by her account with a domineering mother and philandering father -- Kusama began producing her unique signature art aged 10.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Rhoda is less interested in Max’s disloyalty to Leonie than in the tales of Ana’s philandering, profligate father, a Maltese artist who raised her after her Italian mother died during childbirth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The film delved into the loneliness of a woman trapped in a loveless marriage to a philandering, often tyrannical landlord in an opulent yet feudal world.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2025
In that long-ago HBO drama, Greg Kinnear’s philandering husband chucks aside Toni Collette’s devoted but defeated wife.
From Salon ● May 29, 2025
Would it be bad to date a philandering semi-famous pop star?
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions 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.
