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agoraphobia
noun
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The agora was the marketplace in ancient Greece; thus, agoraphobia often involves fear of public places and crowds. But it also may involve fear of being in shops, or even fear of being in open spaces, or fear of traveling alone. It may also be a fear of experiencing some uncontrollable or embarrassing event (like fainting) in the presence of others with no help available. Agoraphobia can be hard to understand for those who don't suffer from it, especially because it can take so many different forms, but it is often a serious and socially crippling condition.
Examples of agoraphobia in a Sentence
Word History
borrowed from German Agoraphobie, from Greek agorā-, combining form of agorá "place of assembly, agora entry 1" + German -phobie -phobia
Note: The term was introduced by the German neurologist and psychiatrist Carl Friedrich Otto Westphal (1833-90) in "Die Agoraphobie, eine neuropathische Erscheinung," Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten, Band 3, Heft 1 (1871), pp. 138-161. Westphal gives as his vernacular equivalent Platzfurcht.
circa 1871, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Agoraphobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agoraphobia. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
agoraphobia
nounMedical Definition
agoraphobia
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on agoraphobia
Nglish: Translation of agoraphobia for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about agoraphobia
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