homophobia

ho·mo·pho·bia | \ ˌhō-mə-ˈfō-bē-ə

How to pronounce homophobia (audio)

\

Definition of homophobia

: irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals

Other Words from homophobia Example Sentences Learn More about homophobia

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of homophobia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At the height of the AIDS epidemic, the virus spread faster precisely because of ignorance and homophobia. — Laurie Penny, Wired, "Panic, Pandemic, and the Body Politic," 14 Mar. 2020 Some academics argue this is due to the homophobia of the time. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN, "Bayard Rustin, a gay civil rights leader arrested for having sex with men, is pardoned 67 years later," 5 Feb. 2020 But instead of seizing the means of production or nationalizing Spanish industry, the governing Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) is waging war on homophobia. — John Hirschauer, National Review, "In Spain, Compulsory Sex Education for Primary-School Children," 27 Jan. 2020 In the past two months, hate speech, sexism and homophobia has been amplified in the country. — Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, Essence, "Evangelicals Target Ghana In The ‘Year Of Return’," 18 Nov. 2019 Who can say that the church Mason founded hasn’t deprived people of grace, with its leanings toward misogyny and homophobia? — David Wallace, The New Yorker, "Tiphanie Yanique on the Necessity of the Spirit," 28 Oct. 2019 By the early 1950s, the days of casual acceptance were numbered: The Cold War brought homophobia, transphobia and a police clampdown on suspect activities, including a ban on cross-dressing performances. — Sofia Grant, Time, "How Reno Became 'the Divorce Capital of the World'—And Why That Reputation Faded," 14 Feb. 2020 The case is seen as a test for freedom of journalists under Bolsonaro, a right-wing former military officer elected last year while appealing to nationalism, homophobia, nostalgia for Brazil’s previous military dictatorship and attacking the media. — Washington Post, "Prosecutors in Brazil charge American journalist with cybercrimes after Lava Jato revelations," 21 Jan. 2020 People who are poor or have a hard time getting a job due to homophobia, transphobia, or other kinds of discrimination are especially vulnerable to being trafficked. — Anna North, Vox, "What Jeffrey Epstein’s case says (and doesn’t say) about human trafficking in America," 16 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'homophobia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about homophobia

Dictionary Entries near homophobia

Statistics for homophobia

Last Updated

28 Mar 2020

Cite this Entry

“Homophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homophobia. Accessed 28 Mar. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

derogate

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

March 2020 Words of the Day Quiz

Which is a synonym of rectitudinous?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.