agoraphobia

From Latin agoraphobia, from Ancient Greek ἀγορά (agorá, “assembly”) + φοβία (phobía, “fear”). By surface analysis, agora +‎ -phobia.

Coined by Karl Friedrich Otto Westphal in 1871.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌæɡ.ə.ɹəˈfəʊ.bi.ə/, /əˌɡɔː.ɹəˈfəʊ.bi.ə/
• (US) enPR: ăg'ər-ə-fōʹbē-ə, ə-goɹ'ə-fōʹbē-ə; IPA^(key): /ˌæɡ.ɚ.əˈfoʊ.bi.ə/, /əˌɡɔɹ.əˈfoʊ.bi.ə/

  • Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -əʊbiə

agoraphobia (plural agoraphobias)

1. The fear of wide open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions.
   • 1981, Donald F. Klein, Judith G. Rabkin, Anxiety: new research and changing concepts:

     Now, you know that the classical analytical explanation of agoraphobia of the early 1900s was that it represented a street phobia because the patient equated streetwalking with prostitutional activity […]

2. (rare) An aversion to markets.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:agoraphobia.