Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
Xenophobia
noun
/ zen-uh-FOH-bee-uh /
Easy
Meaning
An intense fear, hostility, or prejudice directed toward people from other countries or perceived as culturally foreign
Origin / Etymology
Greek xenos (stranger/foreigner) + phobos (fear); the term gained sociological currency in the 20th century alongside the study of nationalism and migration
Synonyms
Nativism
Chauvinism
Ethnocentrism
Intolerance
Parochialism
Antonyms
Cosmopolitanism
Multiculturalism
Openness
Inclusivity
Example Sentence
"The surge in xenophobic attacks on migrant workers from northeastern India in metropolitan cities underscored the urgent need for anti-discrimination legislation at the national level."
🎯 UPSC Usage
Use in GS-1 (Indian society, diversity) and GS-2 (governance, rights) answers on internal migration, anti-migrant violence, and hate crimes. Also critical in GS-2 IR answers on refugee crises, anti-Muslim nationalism in Europe, and India's Citizenship Amendment Act debates. A must-know word for Essay topics on 'nationalism vs. cosmopolitanism' and 'rights of migrants'.
Relevant Subjects