xenophobia

noun

xe·​no·​pho·​bia ˌze-nə-ˈfō-bē-ə  ˌzē- 

: 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

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

Creatures were used as a vehicle to tell stories about xenophobia, sexuality, challenging God, questioning one’s identity, the inherent violence of mankind, and the fear of the unknown. —B.j. Colangelo, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2024

By contrast, Trump, in his third presidential bid, has espoused a fevered xenophobia, vilifying immigrants as predatory criminals and laying out draconian plans to repress immigration, not fix it. —Julia Preston, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

xenophobia

noun

xe·​no·​pho·​bia ˌzen-ə-ˈfō-bē-ə 

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  ˌzēn- 

: fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign