xenophobia

[zen-uh-foh-bee-uh, zee-nuh-]

See more synonyms for xenophobia on Thesaurus.com

noun

fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers: Xenophobia and nationalism can be seen as a reaction to the rise of globalization.
fear or dislike of the customs, dress, etc., of people who are culturally different from oneself:Learning a foreign language can help to overcome xenophobia.

Origin of xenophobia

1890–95; xeno- “foreign, strange” + -phobia “fear”

Related formsxen·o·pho·bic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for xenophobia

bigotry, enmity, discrimination, racism, bias, preconception, injustice, sexism, animosity, chauvinism, xenophobia, umbrage, pique, displeasure, tilt, disgust, antipathy, dislike, repugnance, slant

Examples from the Web for xenophobia

Contemporary Examples of xenophobia

These groups are generally united in their thuggery and xenophobia.
Fascism Is Fashionable Again in Europe
Thane Rosenbaum
June 8, 2014
We will give up and stop any manifestations of chauvinism and xenophobia.
Can Ukraine Control Its Far Right Ultranationalists?
Oleg Shynkarenko
March 1, 2014
Pakistan needs a change of direction away from the xenophobia and paranoia fed by its controlling army.
Pakistan’s Change of Guard and General Ashfaq Kayani’s Legacy
Husain Haqqani
December 2, 2013
At a time when xenophobia runs rampant in Egypt, foreigners are often met with distrust.
Mysterious American Man Found Dead In Egyptian Jail
Sophia Jones
October 14, 2013
The European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) produced a working definition in 2005.
UK Jew’s Harassment Claim Fails
Paul Usiskin
April 1, 2013

Historical Examples of xenophobia

This xenophobia is a remarkably constant feature of eighteenth-century satire on "taste."
The Man of Taste
James Bramston

British Dictionary definitions for xenophobia

xenophobia

noun

hatred or fear of foreigners or strangers or of their politics or culture

Derived Formsxenophobic, adjective

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

Word Origin and History for xenophobia

1903, from xeno- "foreign, strange" + -phobia "fear." Earlier (c.1884) it meant "agoraphobia."

xenophobia in Medicine

xenophobia

(zĕn′ə-fō′bē-ə, zē′nə-)

Fear and contempt of strangers or foreign peoples.

xenophobia in Culture

xenophobia

[(zen-uh-foh-bee-uh, zee-nuh-foh-bee-uh)]

An unreasonable fear, distrust, or hatred of strangers, foreigners, or anything perceived as foreign or different.