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
Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
The rise of authoritarianism, xenophobia and nationalism is also fueling young people’s desire to act, as opportunities that were once available to their parents’ generations have nearly disappeared.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
Dismissing these concerns as mere xenophobia is both condescending and factually wrong.
—Letters To The Editor, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
Ishiba may also place more importance on the formal message in light of rising right-wing populism and xenophobia in Japan.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Sep. 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 4 Nov. 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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