radical right

noun

1. the faction representing extreme right-wing political views; ultraconservatives; reactionaries.

Other Word Forms

• radical rightism noun
• radical rightist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of radical right¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Matthew Feldman, a visiting professor at Liverpool Hope University and leading expert on the radical right, said he was concerned that extremism was bleeding into mainstream political debate because overt racism and the glorification of terrorism were "being given a pass" on US-owned social media platforms.

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"In the past, both men and women were becoming liberal on the issue of gender equality, but there is an increasing number of young men who are hostile to this, believing that feminism has gone too far, potentially drawing them to support populist, radical right parties who more often express support for traditional gender roles."

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Whether from the radical left or the radical right, “political murder” is a frightening development in any society.

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“We’re going to fly our kites. We’re going to try and live our lives despite that fear. And I think that is very radical, right?”

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"Other than that, he seemed to flee the public debate and went shaking hands in the pan-European radical right instead," Mr Magdin mentions, referring to meetings in Poland, France and Italy right before the vote.

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When To Use

What does radical right mean?

Radical right is a term that refers collectively to people who hold right-wing political views considered extreme, such as supporting authoritarianism, fascism, or white supremacy. The radical right is more commonly called the far right.The term does not refer to any official political party or coalition of people, and it can encompass a broad range of political beliefs. Whether someone is considered a member of the radical right depends on who’s using the term and for what purpose.The word right is used in politics to refer to conservative or right-wing political views and collectively to the people who hold such views. Members of the right wing are generally thought to be those who oppose widespread change or reform and support preserving existing conditions and institutions or restoring traditional ones. Such people typically support free enterprise and oppose strong regulation and federal involvement in promoting social welfare.Read our article to learn more about why left means liberal and right means conservative!In the term radical right, the word radical is used to mean extreme in the sense of holding extreme political views. Those thought to be members of the radical right include fascists, neo-Nazis, and fringe militia groups who view any federal regulation or reforms as a form of government overreach intended to suppress individual freedom. Members of the alt-right movement are considered part of the radical right.Someone considered a member of the radical right may be called an ultraconservative, or, more pejoratively, an extreme right-winger (or just right-winger). The term radical right is sometimes used in a disparaging way by those with left-wing views to criticize members of the right wing and their positions, perhaps in an attempt to make them seem more extreme or dangerous.Radical right can also be used as an adjective to refer to things related to this group, as in radical right ideology.

What does radical left mean?

On the opposite side of the political spectrum from the radical right is the radical left, which refers collectively to people who hold left-wing political views that are considered extreme, such as supporting or working to establish communism, Marxism, Maoism, socialism, anarchism, or other forms of anticapitalism. The word left is used in politics to refer to liberal or left-wing political views and collectively to the people who hold such views. Members of the left wing are generally thought to be those who support measures of progressive political reform, especially to address what they see as widespread social inequality, such as through the institution of federal social welfare programs. Members of the radical left are thought to support or actively work for more extreme reforms or even revolution to fundamentally change or overthrow the existing political and economic systems.The term radical right is used less often than radical left.Example: Not all gun owners are members of the radical right, but the radical right holds unrestricted access to any and all firearms as sacred.