English

Alternative forms

• paedophile (British spelling)
• pædophile (dated)

Noun

pedophile ‎(plural pedophiles)

1. (psychiatry) A person aged 16 years old or older who has a mental disorder that makes him primarily or exclusively sexually attracted toward prepubescent children. [from 20th c.]
   • 1982, National Council on Crime and Delinquency, Criminal Justice Abstracts, volume 14‎, page 253:

     Apart from his sexual behavior, the pedophile is typically law abiding.

   • 1986, Patrick B. McGuigan & Jon S. Pascale, Crime and Punishment in Modern America‎, page 109:

     The pedophile, a particular type of child molester, is an adult whose conscious sexual interests and overt sexual behavior are directly either partially or exclusively toward children.

2. (informal) An adult who is attracted to anybody below the age of consent.

Usage notes

• In the US, the official psychiatric designation for pedophilic disorder (according to the DSM-IV) is: "Over a period of at least six months, recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children."

Synonyms

• childlover (euphemistic)

Hyponyms

• mysoped ‎(“a sadistic pedophile”)
• korephile

Derived terms

• pedophilophile, paedophilophile (humorous)

Related terms

• pedophilia, paedophilia
• pedophilic, paedophilic
• pederast, paederast
• ephebophile
• pedosexual; pedosexuality

Translations