xenophile

American  

[zen-uh-fahyl, zee-nuh-] / ˈzɛn əˌfaɪl, ˈzi nə- /

noun

1. a person who is attracted to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs.

---

xenophile British  

/ ˈzɛnəˌfaɪl /

noun

1. a person who likes foreigners or things foreign

---

Usage

What is a xenophile? A xenophile is someone who is attracted to foreign people, places, and customs. If you love learning about different cultures from around the world and get excited about visiting different countries to experience how other people leave, you can describe yourself as a xenophile. But you don’t have to travel the world to be a xenophile. You can learn about other cultures’ customs at home. It might be as simple as learning to cook foods from other cultures, listening to other cultures’ music, and exploring their language and art in your favorite medium. Example: When Zeke visits other countries, they become a bit of a xenophile, learning everything they can during the trip.

Etymology

Origin of xenophile

First recorded in 1945–50; xeno- + -phile

Explanation

Someone who is a huge fan of foreign countries and the people who live there is a xenophile. An American who can't get enough of Japanese movies, French fashion, Persian literature, and Ethiopian food is a xenophile. Xenophile has Greek roots, xenos, "stranger," and philia, "love." A true xenophile isn't simply accepting of foreignness, but has deep, warm feelings for people from other countries and a fascination with their cultures. For some, this means a general preference for foreign people and places. For other xenophiles, there's a strong attraction to one or more specific cultures: "She's such a xenophile — she's been learning German and only wants to watch German movies and eat schnitzel now!"