polyphobia

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English

Etymology

From poly- +‎ -phobia.

Noun

polyphobia (usually uncountable, plural polyphobias)

  1. Fear of many things; a collection of fears.
    • 2008, Jonathan Nasaw, Fear Itself:
      Obviously it was related to the entire gestalt of Simon's polyphobia and compensatory counterphobia. The boys used to watch horror movies on late-night television []
    • 2013 October 30, Suzanne Johnson, “Beyond the office door: Phobias”, in Washburn County Register, volume 125, number 11, page 8:
      Some people suffer from polyphobia, which is the fear of many things. Phobias are real and can be beneficial to keep us safe, that is, if we don't allow them to paralyze us and prevent us from enjoying life.
  2. (uncountable) Fear, hatred, or dislike of, or prejudice against, polyamory or polyamorous people.
    • 1997 September 13, John R. Snead, “Worrying about polyphobia”, in alt.polyamory (Usenet):
      Just how bad a problem is polyphobia? I'm not willing to live anyplace where I have to be closeted []
    • 2015, Jillian Deri, Love's Refraction: Jealousy and Compersion in Queer Women's Polyamorous Relationships, University of Toronto Press, →ISBN, page 112:
      Ren noted the following internalization of polyphobia: My date had dated other people, but it's a lot different if it's a family unit living together []
    • 2021, Jorge N. Ferrer, Love and Freedom: Transcending Monogamy and Polyamory, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page 41:
      Monopride usually comes together with polyphobia, which has been defined as (conscious or unconscious) fear of or disgust toward nonmonogamy []