xenophobia

noun

xe·​no·​pho·​bia ˌze-nə-ˈfō-bē-ə How to pronounce xenophobia (audio) ˌzē- How to pronounce xenophobia (audio)
: fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign

Did you know?

If you look back to the ancient Greek terms that underlie the word xenophobia, you'll discover that xenophobic individuals are literally "stranger fearing." Xenophobia, that elegant-sounding name for an aversion to persons unfamiliar, ultimately derives from two Greek terms: xenos, which can be translated as either "stranger" or "guest," and phobos, which means either "fear" or "flight." Phobos is the ultimate source of all English -phobia terms, but many of those were actually coined in English or New Latin using the combining form -phobia. Xenophobia itself came to us by way of New Latin and first appeared in print in English in the late 19th century.

Examples of xenophobia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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This touching film resonates more deeply since #MeToo and #TimesUp and amidst the current xenophobia. Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2024 Fear, xenophobia and discrimination throw foreboding shadows over their hopes, begging for heroes to appear. Wiki Proficiency, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2024 After Trump’s resounding victory in the Republican primary, the question was whether Trump would enter a downward spiral of grievance, intolerance, xenophobia, and conspiracy theorizing or try to broaden his base with a positive focus on economic growth and national strength. Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024 Leadership grounded in empathy and inclusivity can offer a powerful response to the growing xenophobia, polarization, and refugee crises seen across the globe. Paul Klein, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for xenophobia 

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of xenophobia was in 1880

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Dictionary Entries Near xenophobia

Cite this Entry

“Xenophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/xenophobia. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

xenophobia

noun
xe·​no·​pho·​bia ˌzen-ə-ˈfō-bē-ə How to pronounce xenophobia (audio)
ˌzēn-
: fear of foreigners or foreign things
Etymology

from Greek xeno- "strange, foreign" (from xenos "foreigner") and English phobia "an exaggerated fear"

Medical Definition

xenophobia

noun
xe·​no·​pho·​bia ˌzen-ə-ˈfō-bē-ə How to pronounce xenophobia (audio) ˌzēn- How to pronounce xenophobia (audio)
: fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign

More from Merriam-Webster on xenophobia

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