philander

verb

phi·​lan·​der fə-ˈlan-dər How to pronounce philander (audio)
philandered; philandering fə-ˈlan-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce philander (audio)

intransitive verb

: to have casual or illicit sex with a person or with many people
especially : to be sexually unfaithful to one's spouse
usually used of a man
… her philandering brother-in-law; and … the schoolteacher he philanders with. Judith Crist

Examples of philander in a Sentence

he can't seem to stop philandering, even now that he's on his fifth marriage
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But Hines new home fulfills another big need: To keep her close to her notoriously philandering husband in Washington, D.C., so that won’t be tempted to embroil himself in yet another cheating scandal, according to Oppenheimer. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2025 At times, the man, Cassidy, seems like a stereotypical philandering suburban husband—narcissistic, domineering, but convinced of his own good intentions. Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025 The record for the shortest Oscar-winning performance goes to Beatrice Straight, who played the heartbroken wife of a philandering TV station president in Sidney Lumet’s 1976 film Network. Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025 The record for the shortest Oscar-winning performance goes to Beatrice Straight, who played the heartbroken wife of a philandering TV station president in Sidney Lumet’s 1976 film Network. Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for philander

Word History

Etymology

from obsolete philander lover, philanderer, probably from the name Philander

First Known Use

1737, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of philander was in 1737

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Philander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philander. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

philander

verb
phi·​lan·​der fə-ˈlan-dər How to pronounce philander (audio)
philandered; philandering -d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce philander (audio)
: to be sexually unfaithful to one's wife
philanderer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on philander

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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