The word means "fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers" and it's been popping up a lot in cultural conversation, especially around the US presidential election and Brexit.
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According to Dictionary.com, there was a 938% increase in search for the word on June 24 — the day after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union.
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Interest in the term "hate crime" apparently also soared following the Brexit vote.
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Interest in the word surged on June 29, too, after President Obama mentioned xenophobia in relation to Donald Trump.
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Obama said that Trump's campaign was not run on populism, but “nativism or xenophobia.”
Not surprisingly, people aren't too thrilled with Dictionary.com's WOTY choice — especially after last year's word was, ironically, "identity."
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