homophobic

The term is a modern English formation, coined in the mid-20th century by combining elements from Greek. The first element, "homo-", is a clipping of "homosexual", which itself derives from Greek homos (same) and Latin sexus (sex). The second element, "-phobic", originates from Greek phobos (fear, panic), a common suffix for irrational, intense aversions, as seen in words like "claustrophobic" or "xenophobic". Thus, "homophobic" literally constructs the meaning "characterized by a fear of the same (sex)", which semantically evolved to denote prejudice and hostility rather than a clinical phobia. This construction follows the established pattern in English for naming social prejudices based on the "-phobia" model.

Structure: homo (same) + phob (fear) + ic (adjective suffix) - homo: From Greek homos meaning "same". In this compound, it is a shortened form of "homosexual". - phob: From Greek phobos meaning "fear, dread, panic". It functions as a root denoting an irrational aversion. - ic: A suffix of Greek and Latin origin used to form adjectives meaning "of, pertaining to, or characterized by".