# What's the word for.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847 "2005-10-25T17:40:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monsterjuice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@monsterjuice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monsterjuice)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/1 "2005-10-25T17:40:31Z")
So, if you’re prejudiced against people of other races, you’re a racist. If you harbor a hostility for people of the opposite sex, you’re a sexist. But what if you just can’t stand people of other religions? Religist? Theist? My Merriam-Webster ain’t sayin’. Any help would be appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/2 "2005-10-25T17:51:06Z")
‘Theophobe’ was what I first though of, but isn’t quite right - it’s a fear of religion itself, not of religious believes. ‘Islamophobia’ is a commonly-used term nowadays, and of course there’s old-fashoined ‘anti-semitism’. I can’t think of a catch-all term for hatred of peopel of _all_ other religious beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/3 "2005-10-25T17:55:46Z")
I’ve always used “Religious intolerance” ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/4 "2005-10-25T18:59:10Z")
Theo-centrism would probably be technically correct. Poli-centrism (a word invented by myself and accepted and praised by a professor) is the belief that your political system is superior to others. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/5 "2005-10-25T19:02:05Z")
Make that Theocentrism and Policentrism. I’ve misspelled my own words. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![monsterjuice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@monsterjuice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monsterjuice)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/6 "2005-10-25T19:06:58Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Theo-centrism would probably be technically correct. Poli-centrism (a word invented by myself and accepted and praised by a professor) is the belief that your political system is superior to others. Yeah, you know, that’s what I thought, too, but this is M-W’s definition… theo·cen·tric having God as the central interest and ultimate concern \ … which doesn’t have the sting of bigotry to it that I’m looking for. Hmmmm… And good job on the word-smithing! ---
**Author:** ![monsterjuice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@monsterjuice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monsterjuice)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/7 "2005-10-25T19:12:15Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > I’ve always used “Religious intolerance” Me too. But right now I’m writing a paper on it and am looking for something, shall we say, a little pithier? Oh well, my typing fingers could use the exercise anyway! Thanks, BMax! ---
**Author:** ![monsterjuice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@monsterjuice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monsterjuice)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/8 "2005-10-25T19:19:28Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > ‘Theophobe’ was what I first though of, but isn’t quite right - it’s a fear of religion itself, not of religious believes. ‘Islamophobia’ is a commonly-used term nowadays, and of course there’s old-fashoined ‘anti-semitism’. I can’t think of a catch-all term for hatred of peopel of _all_ other religious beliefs. Wow! “Islamophobia”. Now there’s a Word of the Day! Hadn’t heard that one. Thanks, G-Man. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/9 "2005-10-25T19:20:51Z")
I think the usual term for the concept you’re thinking of is “religious bigotry”, and someone who thinks that way is correctly described as a [“bigot”](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bigot): > [@](#): > > bigot, _n._ One who is strongly partial to one’s own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/10 "2005-10-25T19:21:27Z")
Bad joke spoiler :rolleyes: [caution] Catholic? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![monsterjuice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@monsterjuice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monsterjuice)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/11 "2005-10-27T16:49:56Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > I think the usual term for the concept you’re thinking of is “religious bigotry”, and someone who thinks that way is correctly described as a [“bigot”](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bigot): AH-HA! By george, I think you have it! I can turn that phrase into a descriptor for a person: religious bigot. Thanks, Kimstu, I think you saved my fingers from 300 rounds of typing “people who are religiously intolerant”. Have a good one! ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for/327847/12 "2005-10-27T17:03:19Z")
Wackophobe?