xenophobia

This term describes a deep-seated aversion to the unknown or the foreign, often manifesting as a mixture of fear and hostility. In a sociopolitical context, it describes systemic prejudice or nationalist fervor that targets immigrants and outsiders, frequently overlapping with racism but specifically focusing on the origin of the person. In a clinical or psychological context, it refers to a specific phobia characterized by an irrational, overwhelming anxiety when encountering strangers. Because it is an abstract concept representing a state of mind or a social phenomenon, it is treated as an uncountable noun and does not take a plural form.