radicalism

American  

[rad-i-kuh-liz-uhm] / ˈræd ɪ kəˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. extreme views or practices, or the tendency to favor them, as in politics or religion; extremism.

   In the long term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of violence.

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radicalism British  

/ ˈrædɪkəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the principles, desires, or practices of political radicals

2. a radical movement, esp in politics

3. the state or nature of being radical, esp in politics

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Other Word Forms

• antiradicalism
  noun
• radicalistic
  adjective
• radicalistically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of radicalism

First recorded in 1810–20; radical + -ism

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Explanation

In political science, the term radicalism is the belief that society needs to be changed, and that these changes are only possible through revolutionary means. Most people think of left-wing politics when they use the noun radicalism, although people on both ends of the spectrum can be described as radical. The word radicalism comes from the Latin radicalis, "of or having roots," which in turn arose from radix, or "root." Both radical and radicalism came out of the idea that political change must "come from the root," or the very basic source of society.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

radicalism

He came to the U.S. in 1993 as a graduate student and developed a keen appreciation for the American system’s ability to steer away from radicalism and remain in the untidy middle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

People keep assigning him symbolic roles: first Muslim senator, Muslim socialist, proof of Democratic radicalism, proof of Muslim political progress.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

By transforming Parks into a meek, accidental activist whose only deficit was physical fatigue, the dominant cultural narrative effectively stripped her of her radicalism.

From Salon ● May 20, 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

But there was an unmistakable grooming about him, too; he was not one of those who used untidiness to substantiate their radicalism.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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