What does agoraphobic mean?
Agoraphobic describes a person who suffers from agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder marked by an intense fear of open spaces, crowds, or public places — particularly situations where escape might feel difficult or help unavailable. The word derives from the Greek 'agora', the open marketplace that served as the centre of ancient Greek public life, combined with 'phobia', meaning fear. Used chiefly as an adjective ('she became agoraphobic after the accident'), it can also function as a noun for someone with the condition. Agoraphobia ranges widely in severity: some people manage daily life with distress, while others become housebound for years. It frequently develops after panic attacks, as sufferers begin avoiding places where an attack previously occurred. Though sometimes casually confused with claustrophobia — its spatial opposite — agoraphobia is a serious, treatable clinical condition, typically addressed through cognitive behavioural therapy and, in some cases, medication.
Suffering from or characteristic of agoraphobia; having an intense fear of open or public spaces.
"Since becoming agoraphobic, he conducts all his business from home."
Typically used attributively to describe a person or their condition.
A person who suffers from agoraphobia.
"The support group meets weekly and includes several long-term agoraphobics."
Less common than the adjective form.
Used only when referring to multiple people who have agoraphobia.
"The clinic treats dozens of agoraphobics each year."
The word comes from the Greek 'agora' — the bustling marketplace at the heart of ancient Greek civic life — so an agoraphobic is literally someone afraid of the town square.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of agoraphobic
Agoraphobic combines the Greek 'agora', meaning an assembly place or marketplace, with '-phobic', from the Greek 'phobos' meaning fear. The term entered English in the late nineteenth century, when German psychiatrists coined 'Agoraphobie' to describe patients who feared open public spaces. It shares its root with related phobia terms such as claustrophobic and xenophobic, all built on the same Greek fear suffix.
Related word forms
How agoraphobic is actually used
Most often used as an adjective describing a person or their symptoms; clinical contexts may prefer the noun form 'agoraphobia' when naming the condition itself rather than the person who has it.
Easily confused with agoraphobic
A claustrophobic person fears enclosed or confined spaces, whereas an agoraphobic person fears open or public spaces.