sapphic means relating to the Greek poetess Sappho from Lesbos or her poetry.
sapphic is pronounced /ˈsæf.ɪk/.
Why “sapphic” is a great word
Relating to the Greek poet Sappho, her poetry, or to women who are attracted to other women. From the name Sappho (Ancient Greek Σαπφώ (Sapphṓ)) + the suffix -ic, via Latin Sapphicus. The sense relating to female homosexuality alludes to Sappho's poetry, which discusses love between women. Unlike "lesbian," which often denotes exclusive attraction, or "WLW," a descriptive acronym, "sapphic" is a broader, more inclusive canopy that carries the weight of literary history. It is the fragment of an ancient poem recovered from papyrus, the scent of thyme on an Aegean breeze, the worn pages of a book passed between hands—a name reclaimed from fragmented verses to describe a love history tried to silence.
Etymology
Sappho (Ancient Greek Σαπφώ (Sapphṓ)) + -ic, whence Latin Sapphicus. Sense related to sexuality alludes to Sappho's poetry discussing love between women (see also lesbian).
adj
- Relating to the Greek poetess Sappho from Lesbos or her poetry.
- Of a certain kind of verse reputed to have been invented by Sappho, consisting of five metrical feet, of which the first, fourth, and fifth are trochees, the second is a spondee, and the third a dactyl.
- Lesbian, relating to lesbianism, or (broadly) to women who are attracted (not necessarily exclusively) to women.“Clinton and I became peripherally involved with a pair of Leckford Road girls who, principally sapphic in their interests, would arrange for sessions of group frolic.”
noun
- A Sapphic verse.“His Sapphics, on the story of Bacchus and Ariadne, are easy, elegant, and poetical.”
- A person who is sapphic.“'Very good,” he said, 'although I must confess that the older I get, the less I am able to enjoy the company of women – except of course our own dear Enid who is so notorious a Sapphic as to be virtually hors concours.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- sapphist 92% match — A lesbian. vs sapphic →
- sapphism 91% match — Lesbianism; female homosexuality. vs sapphic →
- lesbophobia 85% match — Fear, dislike, or hatred of lesbians (female homosexuals). vs sapphic →
- tribade 85% match — A woman who engages in sexual activity with another woman; a lesbian. vs sapphic →
- butchness 81% match — The quality of being butch. vs sapphic →
- hellenophile 81% match — Someone who has a love of Greece or Greek culture, either Ancient or Modern. vs sapphic →
- sapiophile 80% match — A person who is attracted, whether it be sexually, romantically, or otherwise, to intelligence or intelligent people rather than to the physical appearance. vs sapphic →
- lezploitation 80% match — The exploitation of women in same-sex relationships and female-female sexual expression in the media, especially for the purpose of titillating heterosexual males. vs sapphic →