Xenophilia

Xenophily or xenophilia means an affection for unknown objects or human beings. It is the opposite of xenophobia or xenophoby.

The word is a synthesis from the Greek "xenos" (ξένος) (stranger, unknown, foreign) and "philos" (φίλος) (love, attraction).

In common usage it means an attraction to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs.

In fiction

Xenophilia is a theme found in science fiction, primarily the space opera sub-genre, in which one explores the consequences of love and sexual intercourse between humans and non-humans, including extraterrestrials. A satirical example is XXXenophile, an X-rated comic book written by Phil Foglio.

See also

• Cultural appropriation
• Intercultural competence
• Xenology
• Xenophobia
• Allophilia