extremism

American  

[ik-stree-miz-uhm] / ɪkˈstri mɪz əm /

noun

1. a tendency or disposition to go to extremes or an instance of going to extremes, especially in political matters.

   leftist extremism; the extremism of the Nazis.

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Etymology

Origin of extremism

First recorded in 1860–65; extreme + -ism

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."

Example Sentences

Saturday's summit in Spain was the fourth meeting of the In Defence of Democracy initiative, which aims to counter extremism and illiberalism.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

While the intent may have been to show that extremism can hide in plain sight, the effect, critics of the stories argued, was normalization.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

“One Battle After Another” is a satirical action-thriller with an intense and timely exploration of American extremism that stars DiCaprio as a retired revolutionary forced back into action.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

Two days after the bombings, Rajapaksa declared his candidacy and went on to win the November vote in a landslide after promising to stamp out Islamist extremism.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

I was slightly giddy with the force of his personality but the extremism of the offer was appealing as well.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• bigotry
• hatred
• intolerance
• zeal
• zealotry