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xenophobia (n.)

"fear or hatred of strangers or what is foreign," 1880, London Daily News, April 12, in which it is coupled with xenomania, in reference to English attitudes toward the French:

Here, however, as in other cases, we are inclined to think that intelligent xenomania is decidedly preferable to the Xenophobia which is of necessity and always unintelligent.

See xeno- "foreign, strange" + -phobia "fear." It was infrequent in 1890s publications but more common from 1903, influenced by or from French xénophobie (by 1901), xénophobe. Earlier (c. 1884) it meant what is now meant by agoraphobia.

also from 1880
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Trends of xenophobia

updated on February 19, 2024

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