specific phobia

American  

[spi-sif-ik foh-bee-uh] / spɪˈsɪf ɪk ˈfoʊ bi ə /

noun

Psychiatry.

1. an intense, persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, situation, or person that leads to avoidance behavior so pronounced as to disrupt daily life: the term specific phobia, as opposed to the nontechnical word phobia, is the official diagnostic name for this mental disorder.

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Etymology

Origin of specific phobia

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

I’ve recently developed a condition called Amaxophobia — a specific phobia about riding in a vehicle.

From Washington Post • Aug. 28, 2022

An estimated 19.2 million American adults have a specific phobia, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2014

A patient visiting Barlow's Boston clinic is first assessed for the presence of a specific phobia and then guided through an intensive day or two of graduated exposure.

From Time Magazine Archive

As many as 40% of all people suffering from a specific phobia have at least one phobic parent, seemingly a clue that phobias could be genetically influenced.

From Time Magazine Archive

A specific phobia becomes a sort of backfire for fear, a controlled blaze that prevents other blazes from catching.

From Time Magazine Archive