zoophilia

American

[zoh-uh-fil-ee-uh] / ˌzoʊ əˈfɪl i ə /

noun

the state of being zoophilous.
Psychology. an abnormal fondness or preference for animals.

zoophilia British

/ ˌzəʊəˈfɪlɪə /

noun

a morbid condition in which a person has a sexual attraction to animals; bestiality

"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

Etymology

Origin of zoophilia

First recorded in 1895–1900; zoo- + -philia

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.

They denounced artwork they saw as demeaning Catholic symbols and promoting zoophilia and pedophilia.

From New York Times

Slovakia-based Eset said affected device owners were presented with a message saying that their phone was locked because they had viewed and distributed "child pornography , zoophilia and other perversions".

From BBC

Carrying signs that said “zoophilia” and “pedophilia,” they chanted: “blasphemy cannot hide in art.”

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023