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
Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2025
Kids have a natural curiosity, as well as fear (xenophobia) of what's foreign.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024
Those predictions have galvanized the political right, combining a sense of cultural decline with xenophobia to persuade voters that a return to traditional American values — which means more child-rearing — is the solution.
—Dylan Scott, Vox, 5 Feb. 2025
Stone often wrote against the grain of the patriarchy, sexism, xenophobia, manifest destiny, and colonialism that characterized many other efforts the field.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for xenophobia
Cite this Entry
“Xenophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/xenophobia. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
xenophobia
noun
from Greek xeno- "strange, foreign" (from xenos "foreigner") and English phobia "an exaggerated fear"
Medical Definition
xenophobia
noun
ˌzēn-
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