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.

---

Etymology

Origin of specific phobia

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

For example, a new automated system can warn banks more quickly about potential threats without requiring users to log into a specific portal and open documents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 9, 2016