pedophilia

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA ^(key): /piːdəˈfɪlɪə/
• enPR: păd'ə-fĭl'ē-ə
• Hyphenation: pe‧do‧phil‧ia

Noun

Singular pedophilia

Plural pedophilias

1. In general use, pedophilia is an adult's sexual act against or sexual attraction to a child.

   Pedophilia causes problems in children who are victims of it.

   Pedophilia sometimes is the pedophile's only sexual attraction, but sometimes exists alongside normal attraction to other adults.

Usage notes

• Although in popular use pedophilia is mistakenly and in certain cases illegally used to indicate any adult sexual attraction to or sexual act against any legally minor (whether under local the age of majority or the local age of consent, or both if they coincide depending on the local laws), in psychiatry and in reality it means more specifically an adult with a mental disorder characterized by his being sexually attracted mostly or only to prepubescent children.

This section needs someone to add example sentences to it.