xenophobia
noun
ˌzē-
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
Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
In the midst of national turmoil—detention camps, Black voter suppression, transphobia, xenophobia, and war—Fonda does not feel despair about the future.
—Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Müller contends that support for the referendum is motivated less by xenophobia than people’s concern that the population is growing at an uncontrolled rate.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
One of my goals was to provide (insofar as is possible with an essay collection) an antidote to all the fear and xenophobia swirling around us.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for xenophobia
Cite this Entry
“Xenophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/xenophobia. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
xenophobia
noun
from Greek xeno- "strange, foreign" (from xenos "foreigner") and English phobia "an exaggerated fear"
Medical Definition
xenophobia
noun
ˌzēn-
