Meaning & use
philogynist
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Meaning
nouncountableformalrare
A man or person who is fond of women and enjoys their company, or who admires and supports them.
Grammar: A person noun: he is a philogynist. It often appears as a deliberate opposite to misogynist.
Patterns
- a philogynist
- be a philogynist
The old professor liked to call himself a philogynist, since most of his closest friends were women.
Critics argued that being a philogynist is not the same as treating women as equals.
In the essay, the author describes his grandfather as a gentle philogynist who listened to the women in his family.
Word forms
| plural | philogynists |
|---|
Common combinations
- a self-declared philogynist
- A self-declared philogynist, he dedicated every novel to his sisters.
- confirmed philogynist
- She teased him as a confirmed philogynist after his speech.
- misogynist or philogynist
- The debate asked whether the poet was a misogynist or philogynist.
- call oneself a philogynist
- He liked to call himself a philogynist at dinner parties.
Synonyms and how they differ
- feminist
- A feminist actively supports equal rights for women, whereas a philogynist simply likes or admires women and may not hold any political view.
- ladies' man
- A ladies' man is informal and often suggests romantic charm, while philogynist is formal and broader in meaning.
- gynophile
- Gynophile is an even rarer coinage meaning almost the same thing but is hardly found outside specialist writing.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: philogynist or philanderer?
philogynist vs philanderer
A philanderer is a man who has many casual affairs, often with disapproval. A philogynist simply likes women.
Practice
Which word best describes someone who genuinely enjoys and admires the company of women?
Choose one answer.
Philogynist comes from roots meaning love of women. Misogynist is the opposite, a philatelist collects stamps, and a philanthropist gives to charity.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “philogynist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.