philately
1 synonym for philately, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The hobby of collecting postage stamps.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
stamp collecting
How to use philately
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
an interest in philately
philately enthusiasts
Stamp collecting is the everyday term for this hobby.
Etymology
The word was coined in French in the 1860s by a stamp collector, who built it from Ancient Greek elements meaning roughly 'love' and 'without a charge'. The second part alluded to how a stamp showed that postage had already been paid, rather than charged to whoever received the letter.
Full origin of philately →Frequently asked questions
What does philately mean?
It means stamp collecting, or more broadly the study of postage stamps and postal history.
Where does the word philately come from?
It was coined in French in the 1860s from Ancient Greek roots, referring to the idea of postage having already been paid by the sender.
Is philately the same as just owning stamps?
Not quite. It usually implies actively studying and organising stamps, not simply owning them.
