agoraphobia

noun

ag·o·ra·pho·bia ˌa-g(ə-)rə-ˈfō-bē-ə

ə-ˌgȯr-ə-

: abnormal fear of being helpless in a situation from which escape may be difficult or embarrassing that is characterized initially often by panic or anticipatory anxiety and finally by the avoidance of open or public places

Did you know?

The agora was the marketplace in ancient Greece; thus, agoraphobia often involves fear of public places and crowds. But it also may involve fear of being in shops, or even fear of being in open spaces, or fear of traveling alone. It may also be a fear of experiencing some uncontrollable or embarrassing event (like fainting) in the presence of others with no help available. Agoraphobia can be hard to understand for those who don't suffer from it, especially because it can take so many different forms, but it is often a serious and socially crippling condition.

Examples of agoraphobia in a Sentence

a patient suffering from agoraphobia

Recent Examples on the Web According to Julia Karbach, a psychologist at University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Germany, brain-training apps have the potential to benefit those who are bed-ridden due to illness, stroke or agoraphobia. —

Marta Zaraska, Discover Magazine, 17 June 2023 People will typically come in around a specific pain point: maybe anxiety or social anxiety, or agoraphobia, or depression, PTSD, chronic illness — the list goes on. —

Matt Thompson, SPIN, 2 June 2023 Many mental disorders fall under the greater anxiety umbrella: phobias, social anxiety, PTSD, OCD, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia and even childhood disorders like separation anxiety and selective mutism. —

Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 9 June 2021 The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM 5) recognizes seven different types of anxiety disorders in kids ages 8 to 18 such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia and separation anxiety disorder, per the task force. —

Abigail Adams, PEOPLE.com, 13 Apr. 2022 What causes agoraphobia? —

Korin Miller, Health.com, 19 May 2021 What’s agoraphobia, actually? —

Laura Newberry, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2022 What is agoraphobia? —

Korin Miller, Health.com, 19 May 2021 Is this actually agoraphobia? —

Alex Williams New York Times, Star Tribune, 18 Oct. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'agoraphobia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Agoraphobie, from Greek agorā-, combining form of agorá "place of assembly, agora entry 1" + German -phobie -phobia

Note: The term was introduced by the German neurologist and psychiatrist Carl Friedrich Otto Westphal (1833-90) in "Die Agoraphobie, eine neuropathische Erscheinung," Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten, Band 3, Heft 1 (1871), pp. 138-161. Westphal gives as his vernacular equivalent Platzfurcht.

First Known Use

circa 1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of agoraphobia was circa 1871

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