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 Horwitz is a filmmaker from the Southwest borderlands, whose work navigates the impact of militarization and xenophobia on the region’s inhabitants. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2024 Starmer wants to learn from Italy’s mix of tough enforcement and international cooperation, though Italy’s approach has been criticized by refugee groups and others alarmed by Europe’s increasingly strict asylum rules, growing xenophobia and hostile treatment of migrants. Jill Lawless and Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2024 Some have voiced concerns about the effect of growing online xenophobia on Chinese children. Cnn Staff, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024 But to some Shenzhen residents and online commentators, the daylight killing in one of China’s most cosmopolitan cities has prompted urgent reflection on the role of nationalistic propaganda and xenophobia in fueling such attacks. Cnn Staff, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for xenophobia 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'xenophobia.' 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

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 4 Nov. 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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