homophobia
Americannoun
noun
Sensitive Note
The combining form -phobia is used in some words that describe intolerance toward a group of people as defined by nationality, ancestry, sexual identity or orientation, creed, or race: homophobia , Islamophobia , transphobia . Though there is an element of fear when interacting with the unknown or the Other, words in this category are not primarily about anxiety; rather, these terms are commonly associated with hatred or disgust. The use of -phobia words to indicate hostility toward groups of people is therefore frequently criticized. Advocates and activists representing these groups recommend using the prefix anti- instead, in words such as antigay , anti-Islam , antitrans .
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of homophobia
First recorded in 1960–65; homo(sexual) + -phobia; popularized by the American psychologist George Weinberg (1929–2017); an earlier sense “fear of men or humankind” was first recorded in the 1920s, from Latin homō “man, human being” + -phobia
Explanation
Homophobia is a hatred of or prejudice against gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people. Homophobia takes wildly different forms, from the state-sanctioned homophobia of countries that punish homosexuality with the death penalty, to playground teasing of a child who is labeled "gay" by his peers. The word homophobia literally means "fear of homosexual people," from the Greek roots homos, "one and the same," and phobia, "irrational fear of," and its original use was closer to "fear by heterosexuals of being thought to be gay."
Vocabulary lists containing homophobia
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.
Attal, whose father was Jewish, said he had experienced both anti-Semitism and homophobia.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
"Absolutely, we've got mountains to do," Cavallo says when asked if football still has a problem with homophobia.
From BBC • Oct. 8, 2025
Brown first shared the news in a direct message to The Daily Aus's social media account after watching coverage of recent incidents of homophobia in the AFL.
From BBC • Aug. 27, 2025
Social media and the ubiquity of smartphones have allowed citizens to expose instances of genuine, and often institutionalized, racism, sexism, homophobia and consumer exploitation.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2025
“What if we have a school-wide discussion on diversity? We could show our videos and discuss issues like racism, sexism, and homophobia related to current events, like the Black Lives Matter movement or celebrating Pride.”
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
