fundamentalist

[fuhn-duh-men-tl-ist]

noun

1. an adherent of fundamentalism, a religious movement characterized by a strict belief in the literal interpretation of religious texts.

   radical fundamentalists.

adjective

1. noting or relating to fundamentalism or fundamentalists.

   fundamentalist sects.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fundamentalist¹

First recorded in 1920–25; fundamental ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Example Sentences

Benn, 29, attended a fundamentalist Christian school, and was told the "world was coming to an end".

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Nothing deterred the terror group from its fundamentalist goals, even as Hamas siphoned billions meant for civilians—including U.S.

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Dobson grew up in the fundamentalist Church of the Nazarene, one of those extremely conservative evangelical faiths that don’t allow dancing or dating, and remained a devoted adherent his entire life.

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He became president of the Master’s College in 1985, which later changed its name to the Master’s University, and presided over unprecedented growth at the fundamentalist institution, The Times wrote in 1990.

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To be clear, I’m no fan of the repressive Iranian regime and wholeheartedly reject its fundamentalist ideology.

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Related Words

• fanatic 
• zealot