What does haemophiliac mean?
Haemophiliac is a noun for a person who has haemophilia, a bleeding disorder usually caused by an inherited deficiency or dysfunction of one or more blood-clotting factors. The condition can vary greatly in severity, and it affects males and females, although it is more common in males. A haemophiliac may need special care for surgery, injury, and certain medical procedures, but many people with haemophilia lead active lives and participate in sport. The noun is a conventional medical label, though contemporary language often prefers “person with haemophilia,” which places the person before the diagnosis. Haemophiliac is also formed directly from haemophilia, a term whose Greek elements refer to blood and an affinity for it. The word is useful because it identifies both the person and the specific disorder while distinguishing haemophilia from other bleeding conditions.
nounA person who has haemophilia, an inherited bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency or dysfunction of one or more blood-clotting factors.
- A person who has haemophilia.
"She works as a physiotherapist, caring for young people with haemophilia, and is herself a haemophiliac."
"The haemophiliac received clotting factor after surgery."
"As a haemophiliac, he takes precautions before travelling to countries with limited access to his specialist treatment."
This plural is standard but is used less often than the phrase “people with haemophilia.”
"The organization supports haemophiliacs and their families throughout the country."
Haemophilia is a disorder of clotting, not a disorder of having too much blood.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does haemophiliac come from?
Haemophiliac was formed in English from haemophilia and the suffix -iac, denoting a person affected by the condition. Haemophilia combines Greek haima, meaning “blood,” with -philia, derived from Greek philein, “to love,” in the sense of an affinity for blood. The medical term haemophilia was established in 19th-century English, and the related person-form developed alongside it; American English also uses the spelling hemophilia for the condition.
Related word forms
How haemophiliac is actually used
The term is neutral and established in medical usage, but person-first wording such as “person with haemophilia” is often preferred in contemporary healthcare and public-facing communication.
Easily confused with haemophiliac
Haemophiliac is the usual British spelling, while hemophiliac is the usual US spelling; both name a person with haemophilia.
Haemophiliac is a noun naming a person, whereas haemophilic is an adjective describing someone or something affected by haemophilia.