phi·lol·o·gy
fə-ˈlä-lə-jē 
also fī-
1
: the study of literature and of disciplines relevant to literature or to language as used in literature
2
a
: linguistics
especially
: historical and comparative linguistics
b
: the study of human speech especially as the vehicle of literature and as a field of study that sheds light on cultural history
phi·lol·o·gist
fə̇ˈläləjə̇st
plural -s
1
: one that loves learning or literature : a learned or literary man : a scholar especially of classical antiquity
2
: linguist sense 2
especially
: one that concerns himself with human speech as the vehicle of literature and as a field of study that sheds light on cultural history
Examples of philology in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
The novelist, who before becoming a professional writer was a university professor of English philology, said she is encouraged by the enthusiastic crowds of young people who come to her presentations at book fairs across the world.
—Miami Herald, 25 Nov. 2025
The author likely named her character after the sixteenth-century philologist Isaac Casaubon, who had argued against the classical humanists of his day by suggesting that textual philology was a morally indifferent science.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2025
This concerns archaeology just like religious studies, philology or anthropology.
—Max Hauptman, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
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Noun
Novelist and 2025 Nobel laureate for literature László Krasznahorkai studied law, philology, and Hungarian literature before spending years wandering Hungary and Germany and working odd jobs.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
The novelist, who before becoming a professional writer was a university professor of English philology, said she is encouraged by the enthusiastic crowds of young people who come to her presentations at book fairs across the world.
—Miami Herald, 25 Nov. 2025
The author likely named her character after the sixteenth-century philologist Isaac Casaubon, who had argued against the classical humanists of his day by suggesting that textual philology was a morally indifferent science.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2025
This concerns archaeology just like religious studies, philology or anthropology.
—Max Hauptman, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for philology
Cite this Entry
“Philology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philology. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
philology
noun
phi·lol·o·gy
fə-ˈläl-ə-jē
: the study of language and especially of historical development in languages
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