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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

Derived 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.

"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

"We must stamp out the hate, fear and prejudice that drives Islamophobia and division in our society."

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

When Mamdani criticized the Islamophobia driving the rally, that criticism itself became the outrage.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Islamophobia is an age-old theme in American politics, peaking some 20 years ago in the aftermath of 9/11 and ebbing and flowing in the years since.

From Slate • Nov. 25, 2025

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