well-founded fear
Reasonable terror basis
Well-founded fear is a legal standard in asylum and refugee law, requiring that someone seeking protection demonstrate both genuine subjective fear and objective circumstances that justify it.
The phrase distinguishes credible threats from vague anxieties: She established a well-founded fear of persecution based on her political activities.
Outside legal contexts, well-founded fear describes any reasonable apprehension supported by evidence rather than imagination.
- legitimateConforming to accepted standards
- justifiedShown to be right
- credible threatHarm that seems likely
- asylumShelter from persecution
- asylum seekerOne requesting official protection
persecution · human rights · country of origin · refugee · refugee status · dread · apprehension · terror · flight · escape · border crossing · danger · threat · credible · reasonable · grounded · valid · flee
well-founded fearparanoia
Irrational persecution fears
irrational fear · hysteria · false alarm · delusion · phobia
well-founded fearoverreaction
Disproportionate emotional response
catastrophizing · hysteria · phobia · moral panic · panic
well-founded fearcomplacency
Uncritical satisfaction with oneself
reckless disregard · willful ignorance · denial · head in the sand · whistling past the graveyard
well, founded, fear, wells, welling, found, founds, founding, founder