Islamophobia

American

[is-lah-muh-foh-bee-uh, iz‐] / ɪsˌlɑ məˈfoʊ bi ə, ɪz‐ /

noun

an aversion or hostility to, disdain for, or fear of Islam or Muslims.

The graffiti and other property damage at the mosque was motivated by Islamophobia.

Islamophobia British

/ ˌɪzlɑːməˈfəʊbɪə /

noun

hatred or fear of Muslims or of their politics or culture

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Sensitive Note

See homophobia.

Other Word Forms

Islamophobic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of Islamophobia

First recorded in 1920–25; Islam ( def. ) + -o- ( def. ) + -phobia ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Islamophobia

"Islamophobia endangers Muslim communities across this country," he posted on X, adding that New York police are boosting deployments to mosques "out of an abundance of caution."

From Barron's ● May 18, 2026

“I do not believe anyone should be exposed to antisemitism or Islamophobia because of how they pray.”

From Slate ● Apr. 29, 2026

Yet I now realize that Islamophobia is real, as is xenophobia.

From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2025

“That actually turned things upside down from the Islamophobia perspective.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

The government is considering a draft definition of anti-Muslim hatred which does not include the term "Islamophobia".

From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023