Philanderer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /fɪˈlæn.də.ɹɚ/

Definitions

1. A person who engages in casual romantic or sexual relationships with multiple partners without commitment or serious intention
2. a man who pursues numerous fleeting romantic or sexual liaisons without genuine emotional commitment or faithful devotion
3. someone who conducts serial affairs and amorous dalliances with various partners while avoiding serious or lasting relationships

Etymology: Long before "philanderer" described a roving lover, "philander" was a name used for a lover, and it came from a Greek word meaning "lover of men." In ancient Greek, "philandros" joined "phílos" ("love" or "fond of") with "anḗr" ("man"), and it was the sort of compound that could describe a devoted or affectionate partner. The sense of the word was far from the modern one, and nothing in the Greek itself points toward flirtation or infidelity. The English story takes a sharp turn. "Philander" came to be used as a lover's name in poetry and romantic writing, and from it came "philanderer" with the ordinary agent ending "-er," giving a person who makes a habit of such dalliances. The shift from a term of affection to a label for a faithless lover is the centrepiece of the word's history, and the Greek meaning survives only in its roots.