fundamentalist
Americannoun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of fundamentalist
First recorded in 1920–25; fundamental ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )
Explanation
If you love to talk about what a strict vegan you are, your friends might start calling you a fundamentalist, or a person who sticks very closely to a particular set of principles. The word fundamentalist is used most often to talk about religion. As an adjective, it describes a very strict, literal interpretation of a religious text or set of beliefs, and the noun means a person who holds those firm, often extreme, beliefs. Fundamentalist is a relatively recent term, invented in the 1920s in the United States to describe a Protestant movement during that era.
Vocabulary lists containing fundamentalist
U.S. Government - Middle School and High School
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"Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry" by Rudolfo Anaya
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U.S. Government - Middle School and High School
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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.
But he was never a "fundamentalist" of Guardiola's ideas.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
Despite his fundamentalist beliefs, Khamenei was a nimble politician.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
A former member of the jihadist group told reporters in 2019 that they were originally funded by a military intelligence unit to propagate a fundamentalist ideology in Sri Lanka's multi-ethnic eastern province.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
He was known for his fundamentalist biblical standards, strictly focusing on the writings of the Scriptures and eschewing sermons that touched on more modern themes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2025
Many of the orphans went to live in fundamentalist madrasas.
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.
