A Word on Vocabulary #28: Philocalist

There is much beauty in the world. Some of it is on the surface, easily discernable. Other forms of beauty are deeper, unappreciated by those who live life too fast. Some say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that is true to some degree. What one person finds beautiful, another might turn away from without giving a second thought. But there are some in this world who see beauty in everything. These are the people who stop to observe, to listen, to touch, to think, to understand. The person who does this is a philocalist.

Meaning: a lover of beauty; one who appreciates beauty in all its forms.

Origin: from the Greek philo- (“fondness for”, “love of”) and kalós (one meaning of which is “beautiful” or “lovely”).