pedophilia means sexual attraction by adults and adolescents to children, specifically prepubescent children. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 85 out of 100.
pedophilia is pronounced /ˌpiː.dəˈfɪ.li.ə/.
noun
- Sexual attraction by adults and adolescents to children, specifically prepubescent children.“As noted earlier, pedophilia was cited as both an aggravating and a mitigating circumstance by trial judges, as was the absence of pedophilia.”
- Sexual activity between adults and children; the act of child molestation.“Fifteen months later, a committee of the congregation found that he had sexually abused several boys within the congregation. […] The fact that Alger committed pedophilia at the age of thirty-four casts a shadow over his subsequent yearning for relationships with boys and young men, but there is no evidence of any later misconduct.”