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

Mr. Blazakis is executive director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

"Extremism, radicalism and populism feed off this lack of trust, disinformation, inequalities, disenchantment with the present and doubts about how to face the future."

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

“The path from joking to dead serious gets carved out little by little,” said Pasha Dashtgard, the director of interventions at the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University.

From Slate • Dec. 5, 2025

“I am very concerned that these actions are meant to punish disfavored dissent,” said Brian Levin, founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025

Extremism and fanaticism are not part of true religion.

From Heart Talks by Naylor, Charles Wesley

Related Words

• bigotry
• hatred
• intolerance
• zeal
• zealotry