Heterophobic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having an irrational fear or dislike directed at those with differing sexual orientations or identities
2. Displaying animosity or prejudice against individuals whose sexual or gender identities are perceived as different from one’s own
3. Characterized by an aversion or hostility toward individuals who identify as heterosexual

Etymology: "Heterophobic" is built from two Greek elements. "Hetero-" comes from the Greek "heteros," meaning "other" or "different," and it appears in English words like "heterosexual" and "heterogeneous." "-phobic" comes from "phobos," meaning "fear" or "dread," the source of "-phobia" and the adjective ending "-phobic," which describes someone who fears or dislikes something. Put together, the pieces suggest a fear or dislike of what is different. Here, though, "hetero-" does not mean "different" in the everyday sense. It is shorthand for "heterosexual," so the word describes hostility toward people whose sexual or gender identities differ from one's own. The form follows the pattern of earlier coinages such as "homophobic," in which "homo-" (from the Greek "homos," "same") is paired with "-phobic" to describe hostility toward people of the same sex as one's own.