fundamentalism
noun
fun·da·men·tal·ism
ˌfən-də-ˈmen-tə-ˌli-zəm 
1
a
often capitalized
: a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching
b
: the beliefs of this movement
c
: adherence to such beliefs
a minister noted for his strict fundamentalism
2
: a movement or attitude stressing strict and literal adherence to a set of basic principles
Islamic fundamentalism
political fundamentalism
Examples of fundamentalism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Then, a new brand of religious fundamentalism takes hold in Tunisia.
—
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2024
The growing strength of the resistance forces should not be understood merely or even primarily as an expression of religious fundamentalism or sectarian identification.
—Toby Matthiesen, Foreign Affairs, 9 Feb. 2024
Tajikistan descended into a civil war soon after gaining independence, a conflict that has accelerated the spread of Islamic fundamentalism.
—Valerie Hopkins, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
King's Landing power vacuum, a new strain of religious fundamentalism adds a curious new quirk to Westerosi courtly politics.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024
Since then, countless essays, articles, and books have tried to explain the growing threats to the liberal world order posed by populism, authoritarianism, fundamentalism, and nationalism.
—Helena Rosenblatt, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
By the 1950s, many conservative Christians started to distance themselves from fundamentalism, at least in a cultural sense.
—Harry Bruinius, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2023
The opportunity offered by climate fundamentalism for bureaucrats who like to command and control is one that some of its officials are unable to resist.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 17 Dec. 2023
In 1989, when the 35-year-old Communist playwright and street theater director Safdar Hashmi was beaten to death by right-wing thugs while performing near Delhi, Mr. Sundaram, with other cultural figures, organized a collective to oppose religious fundamentalism and sectarianism.
—Holland Cotter, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2023
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2024
The growing strength of the resistance forces should not be understood merely or even primarily as an expression of religious fundamentalism or sectarian identification.
—Toby Matthiesen, Foreign Affairs, 9 Feb. 2024
Tajikistan descended into a civil war soon after gaining independence, a conflict that has accelerated the spread of Islamic fundamentalism.
—Valerie Hopkins, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
King's Landing power vacuum, a new strain of religious fundamentalism adds a curious new quirk to Westerosi courtly politics.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024
Since then, countless essays, articles, and books have tried to explain the growing threats to the liberal world order posed by populism, authoritarianism, fundamentalism, and nationalism.
—Helena Rosenblatt, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
By the 1950s, many conservative Christians started to distance themselves from fundamentalism, at least in a cultural sense.
—Harry Bruinius, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2023
The opportunity offered by climate fundamentalism for bureaucrats who like to command and control is one that some of its officials are unable to resist.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 17 Dec. 2023
In 1989, when the 35-year-old Communist playwright and street theater director Safdar Hashmi was beaten to death by right-wing thugs while performing near Delhi, Mr. Sundaram, with other cultural figures, organized a collective to oppose religious fundamentalism and sectarianism.
—Holland Cotter, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fundamentalism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Fundamentalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fundamentalism. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
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