What does coprophilia mean?
Coprophilia is a noun referring to sexual arousal from, or an abnormal fascination with, feces and the act of defecation. Within psychiatry and sexology it is classified as a paraphilia — a pattern of sexual interest outside conventional norms — and it is discussed almost exclusively in clinical, forensic, or scholarly literature rather than casual conversation. The word derives from the Greek kopros, meaning dung, joined to philia, meaning fondness or attraction; this same Greek root also yields related terms such as coprolite (fossilized excrement) and coprophagia (the eating of feces, a behavior common in some animals). Because it names a strongly taboo subject, coprophilia tends to appear in textbooks, diagnostic manuals, and case studies, where it is used descriptively rather than pejoratively. For general readers, its main value lies in understanding how specialized vocabulary partitions human behavior into precise clinical categories, even for subjects most people find uncomfortable to discuss.
nounCoprophilia is an abnormal interest in or sexual arousal from feces and defecation. In clinical contexts it refers to a paraphilia in which excrement functions as a source of erotic gratification.
- A paraphilia involving sexual arousal from feces or defecation.
- More broadly, any abnormal fascination with or interest in feces.
"The clinician's textbook devoted a brief, clinical chapter to paraphilias such as coprophilia."
"In clinical literature, coprophilia is classified among the paraphilias rather than treated as a mainstream sexual preference."
"The documentary noted, without sensationalism, that certain ancient texts contain references to what modern psychiatry would label coprophilia."
Rare; typically appears only when multiple distinct instances or types are being enumerated in clinical or taxonomic writing.
"The survey catalogued several paraphilias, including two cases of coprophilias reported independently."
The word comes from Greek 'kopros' — the same root that gives us coprolites, fossilized dung prized by paleontologists as a window into prehistoric diets.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coprophilia
Coprophilia derives from Ancient Greek: kopros, meaning dung or excrement, combined with philia, meaning affection or attraction. It belongs to a family of scientific terms built on kopros, including coprolite (fossilized dung) and coprophagous (dung-eating). The compound entered English usage through late nineteenth- and twentieth-century medical and psychological literature as clinicians developed systematic vocabularies for describing atypical sexual interests.
How coprophilia is actually used
Strictly a formal, clinical, or scholarly term; it appears almost exclusively in psychiatric, sexological, or academic writing and would be jarring in everyday conversation. It carries strong connotations of taboo and is generally used descriptively rather than judgmentally in professional contexts. The plural form is rare and typically encountered only in taxonomic or survey literature listing multiple paraphilias together.
Easily confused with coprophilia
Coprophagia is the eating of feces (a behavior seen in animals), whereas coprophilia is a sexual attraction to or erotic interest in feces.
Coprophobia is a persistent fear of or aversion to feces, the opposite end of the spectrum from the attraction implied by coprophilia.