extremism
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of extremism
Explanation
Extremism is a political or religious philosophy that's very far from the mainstream. Because it's so different from the average person's politics. being an anarchist is often considered extremism. When someone's beliefs are considered to be extreme by most people — if they think, for example, that people should be executed for eating certain foods or using certain words — that person is said to practice extremism, and is labelled an extremist. These words are almost always used in a derogatory way, by people who see themselves as centrist or moderate. The Latin root is extremus, "outermost" or "farthest."
Vocabulary lists containing extremism
President Biden's Inaugural Speech (January 2021)
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"Ideas Live On" by Benazir Bhutto (2007)
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“Address to the United Nations Youth Assembly” by Malala Yousafzai
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Munira Mustaffa, a Malaysia-based counterterrorism and extremism expert, said they were "frustrated signalling" by insurgents intended to "get the government to return to the table".
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
This era of scrolling alone has, as Putnam halfway predicted, coincided with a rise in asocial extremism.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
In a statement, he added: "Rather than standing as a local council candidate, I believe that my experience is better used supporting Kemi Badenoch in her ongoing mission to combat the antisemitism and extremism".
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
“We see them as intellectualizing or sanitizing radical-right ideas that are then taken up by the parties in power,” said Allchorn, the U.K. extremism expert.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
“We will defeat the forces of extremism and militancy with the power of the people,” she declared.
From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
