nosophobia

American  

[nos-uh-foh-bee-uh] / ˌnɒs əˈfoʊ bi ə /

noun

Psychiatry.

1. an irrational or disproportionate fear of disease.

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nosophobia British  

/ ˌnɒsəˈfəʊbɪə /

noun

1. the morbid dread of contracting disease

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Other Word Forms

• nosophobic adjective

Etymology

Origin of nosophobia

First recorded in 1885–90; noso- + -phobia

Example Sentences

Medical students’ disease — which has also been called “nosophobia,” meaning “fear of disease” — first gained attention in the mid-1960s after the publication of two articles from prominent psychiatric departments.

From New York Times