hoplophobia

English

Etymology

Firearms authority and writer Colonel Jeff Cooper claims to have coined the word in 1962: hoplo- (“weapon, arms”) +‎ -phobia (“fear”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌhɒpləˈfəʊbɪə/

Noun

hoplophobia (uncountable)

1. The irrational fear of guns.
   • 1979: United States House of Representatives: Firearms Legislation: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Crime of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Ninety-fourth Congress, First Session, Part 7, page 2529

     Gun control laws are proposed to control three basic areas: Crime, accidental shootings, and to calm those suffering from hoplophobia — these people generally align themselves with the first two so I won’t even consider that category.

   • 1999, Barry B Wood, dfw.general‎^[3] (Usenet):

     You'll be happy to learn that "hoplophobia" (irrational fear of weapons) has been recognized as an illness by the AMA, is treatable, and is now covered by most HMOs. Get thee to a psychiatrist!

   • 2015: James Taranto, in "Best of the Web: The Left Loses Control," The Wall Street Journal

     That the [New York] Times's gun-control crusade is motivated by hoplophobia, rather than a sincere concern about crime and terrorism, can be demonstrated by a comparison with other Times editorials that do not focus on guns.

See also

• hoplophobe
• hoplophobic