Dictionary

bibliophile en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌbɪblɪˈɒfəˌlɪzəm/ (UK)
• /ˈbɪblɪəfɪl/ (UK)
• /ˈbɪblɪəˌfaɪl/ (UK)
• /ˈbɪb li əˌfɪl/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈbɪb li əˌfaɪl/ (US)
• bĭb′lē-ə-fīl″

Etymology

First attested in 1820. From biblio- + -phile (from Ancient Greek βιβλίον (biblíon, “paper, document, tablet”) + φίλος (phílos, “beloved”)), probably after French bibliophile.

Meanings

1. One who loves books.
   • [A] savage passage of 14th-century invective about the text-obsessed nerdiness of the Florentine bibliophile and friend of Petrarch, Niccolò Niccoli ... 2013 September 14, Jane Shilling, “The Golden Thread: the Story of Writing, by Ewan Clayton, review [print edition: Illuminating language]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), page R28:
   • A bad example often finds imitators, and every season there crop up for public sale one or two such collections formed by bibliomaniacs who, although calling themselves bibliophiles, ought really to be ranked among the worst enemies of books. 1880, William Blades, The Enemies of Books, page 97:
2. One who collects books, not necessarily due to any interest in reading them.
3. (rare) One who loves the Bible.
   • >HA HA here we have this Bastachs Fuckhead >defending Christianity […] Your name is as wrong as the rest of your idiotic notions: you're not a bibliophile, you're a bibliophobe. 2003 December 17, penitent leper, “Why was Christ Crucified ?”, in alt.religion.christian (Usenet), archived from the original on 07 Feb 2026:
   • I dont^([sic]) consider myself a bibliophile....I just think it is God's word. 1999 February 18, Silva, “WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF JESUS *DID* RETURN?”, in alt.bible.errancy (Usenet), archived from the original on 07 Feb 2026:
   • So, just for fun, here are the versions of Romans 1:26-27. Now don't go assuming jsmith@epas.utoronto.ca must be some kind of great bibliophile because he got all these old versions together. They're all in one place, the _New Testament Octapla_ by Luther Weigle, and I added a few of my own texts from my library; took me only a few minutes to type them. 1995 April 23, Julian Smith, “Romans 1:26-27 Variants II”, in bit.listserv.catholic (Usenet), archived from the original on 07 Feb 2026:

Forms

Antonyms

bibliophobe

Deriveds

audiobibliophile

Relateds

conspirophile · vexillophile · Bibliophile · bibliophilia · bookworm · museophile · bibliophilic · arctophile · videophile · audiophile · why buy a book when you can join a library

Synonyms

book lover

Translations (35)

nb bibliofil (person who loves books — see also book lover) · is bókamaður (person who loves books — see also book lover) · ru библиофи́л (person who loves books — see also book lover) · fr bibliophile (person who loves books — see also book lover) · nl bibliofiel (person who loves books — see also book lover) · ru книголю́б (person who loves books — see also book lover) · ga leabharbhách (person who loves books — see also book lover) · fi bibliofiili (person who loves books — see also book lover) · tr kitapsever (person who loves books — see also book lover) · de Buchliebhaber (person who loves books — see also book lover) · uk бібліофі́л (person who loves books — see also book lover) · nb biblioman (person who loves books — see also book lover) · sv bibliofil (person who loves books — see also book lover) · de Bücherliebhaber (person who loves books — see also book lover) · pt bibliófilo (person who loves books — see also book lover) · cs bibliofil (person who loves books — see also book lover) · io bibliofilo (person who loves books — see also book lover) · es bibliófila (person who loves books — see also book lover) · de Bücherfreundin (person who loves books — see also book lover) · pt bibliófila (person who loves books — see also book lover) · de Bibliophiler (person who loves books — see also book lover) · mk библиофил (person who loves books — see also book lover) · ca bibliòfil (person who loves books — see also book lover) · de Buchliebhaberin (person who loves books — see also book lover) · af bibliofiel (person who loves books — see also book lover) · de Bücherfreund (person who loves books — see also book lover) · uk книголю́б (person who loves books — see also book lover) · tr bibliyofil (person who loves books — see also book lover) · de Bibliophile (person who loves books — see also book lover) · de Bücherliebhaberin (person who loves books — see also book lover) · el βιβλιόφιλος (person who loves books — see also book lover) · es bibliófilo (person who loves books — see also book lover) · pl bibliofil (person who loves books — see also book lover) · kk кітапқұмар (person who loves books — see also book lover) · mk книгољубец (person who loves books — see also book lover)