Vocabulary in context
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Xenophobia
An irrational fear or dislike of people from other countries; hostility toward foreigners.
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Imagine This
Xena, the princess warrior on TV, is actually afraid of foreigners and strangers.
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Sounds Like
ZEN-oh-FOH-bee-uh
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Looks Like
Xeno- (foreign) + -phobia (fear)
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Remember This
Xeno- means foreign; -phobia means fear. The word comes from Greek xenos 'stranger' and phobos 'fear'.
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Other Forms
xenophobicadjective
xenophobenoun
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Connect With
prejudice, discrimination, bigotry, intolerance
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Note
Xenophobia refers to fear or hostility toward outsiders, not just a simple dislike of different cultures. Use carefully in contexts about prejudice or policy.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric reflected xenophobia.
- Xenophobia can hinder a nation's ability to engage with global communities.
Synonyms
prejudice against foreignersbigotrybiasintolerancediscrimination
Antonyms
toleranceacceptanceopen-mindedness
Etymology
From Greek xenos 'stranger' + phobos 'fear'; entered English via Latinized form xenophobia.
Mnemonic
XENO + PHOBIA = FEAR OF THE FOREIGN. Remember by connecting 'xeno' with foreign and 'phobia' with fear.
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nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
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Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
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