Islamophobia

American  

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

noun

1. 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

1. hatred or fear of Muslims or of their politics or culture

---

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

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

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

From Salon ● Mar. 12, 2026

There are questions about how well successive governments have engaged with Muslims to deal with issues in their own communities, and Islamophobia from outside.

From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---