Meanings
Romaphobia1
Romaphobia2
- uncountableFear, dislike, or hate of Roman Catholicism.
"What is Protestantism in its essence? Variegated and hydra-headed in its species the generic sign by which it can always be recognized is antagonism to Rome; some forms of Romaphobia are more blatant and malicious than others, but to a perceptible degree all Protestants have it..."
1907 November 16, “Critics of Protestantism”, in The Sacred Heart Review, volume 38, number 21, page 61 more example
There lurks, we fear, the old Protestant Romaphobia, which will not allow him to speak boldly on the subject. If we really believe that our LORD gave power to remit sins to His Apostles, can we for a moment doubt that when a priest is ordained by the very same form of words which our LORD used in conferring this power, he receives that power, too? or shall we believe that every bishop performs a solemn mockery, not to say blasphemy, when he uses these words at every ordination? If, then, this power is really given, is it not given to be used? and is not the disuse of this power a fearful withholding of the means of pardon from the faithful?
1865, “Blunt's Directorium Pastorale. [A book review of Directorium Pastorale: Principles and Practice of Pastoral Work in the Church of England, by the Rev. John Henry Blunt. London: Rivingtons, 1864.”, in The Ecclesiastic, volume 27, London, England, page 59Synonyms: anti-Catholicism, antipopery, antipapism
Synonyms & antonyms
nounFear, dislike, or hate of Roma people.
nounFear, dislike, or hate of Roman Catholicism.
Origin
Romaphobia · noun
From Roma + -phobia. Late 20th century. Before that, its synonyms were the usual words for the referent.
Full word history & related roots →Romaphobia · noun
From Roma + -phobia, where Rome is metonymic for the Roman pope, the Vatican, and their church. Mid-19th century.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech romofobie
- romofobiefear, dislike or hate of Roma people
French rromophobie
- rromophobiefear, dislike or hate of Roma people
German Romaphobie
- Romaphobiefear, dislike or hate of Roma people
Hungarian romofóbia
- romofóbiafear, dislike or hate of Roma people
Russian ромофо́бия
- ромофо́бия (romofóbija)fear, dislike or hate of Roma people
Ukrainian ромофо́бія
- ромофо́бія (romofóbija)fear, dislike or hate of Roma people
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with Romaphobia
Cite this entry
Romaphobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Romaphobia
“Romaphobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Romaphobia. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Romaphobia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Romaphobia.
Source: Romaphobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.