Xenophobia
/ˌzɛn.əˈfoʊ.bi.ə/noun
Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.
Did you know?The same Greek root xenos could mean both “stranger” and “guest,” so the word’s ancestry already carries the tension between welcome and suspicion.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
xénos (ξένος) + phóbos (φόβος)
““stranger/guest” + “fear, panic””
Late 19th Century
Greek/English
xenophobía (ξενοφοβία)
“fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers”
1900s
English
xenophobia
“fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers”
Modern English
English
xenophobia
“prejudice against people from other countries”