Pedophiles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person, typically an adult, who is sexually attracted to prepubescent children
2. someone exhibiting an abnormal interest in sexual activity with minors, which is considered a criminal offense
3. an individual whose psychological condition involves a persistent sexual attraction to children, often leading to illegal exploitation and abuse

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "paidophiles" was a word for a man who loved boys, built from "pais," meaning boy or child, and "philein," meaning to love. The Greek compound was not a clinical term; it described a relationship between an older man and a boy, a pattern that was part of some Greek social and educational customs. English took the root and rebuilt it. The modern form "pedophile" combines "pedo-," from the Greek "pais" for child, with "-phile," from the Latin "-phila," itself borrowed from Greek "philos," meaning loving or fond of. The English word is a modern coinage made from these classical pieces rather than a term inherited from antiquity. Its meaning is now narrowed to sexual attraction to children, and that sense is the only one current in English. The plural "pedophiles" is simply the plural of "pedophile," used for more than one person with this attraction.