— philatelic /fil'euh tel"ik/ , philatelical , adj. — philatelically , adv. — philatelist /fi lat"l ist/ , n.
/fi lat"l ee/ , n.
1. the collecting of stamps and other postal matter as a hobby or an investment.
2. the study of postage stamps, revenue stamps, stamped envelopes, postmarks, postal cards, covers, and similar material relating to postal or fiscal history.
[ 1860-65; philatélie phil- PHIL- + atéleia freedom from charges (taken to mean recipient's freedom from delivery charges by virtue of the stamp which sender affixed to the letter), lit., want of taxation, equiv. to a- A- 6 + tél ( os ) tax + -eia -Y 3 ]