extremism

noun ex·trem·ism \ ik-ˈstrē-ˌmi-zəm \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Definition of extremism

1 : the quality or state of being extreme

2 : advocacy of extreme measures or views : radicalism

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extremist

play \ik-ˈstrē-mist\ noun or adjective

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Recent Examples of extremism from the Web

That spate of action, over the past few weeks alone, illustrates the shifting and enduring threat from Islamic extremism around the world that will last long after the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, is defeated on the battlefield.

— eric schmitt, New York Times, "ISIS May Be Waning, but Global Threats of Terrorism Continue to Spread," 6 July 2018
During the 1990s there was war and years of religious extremism that turned people against this musical community and almost wiped out the culture of Kharabat.

— maija liuhto, Longreads, "A Music So Beautiful the Birds Fell from the Trees," 28 June 2018
After years of animal rights extremism, such as physical assaults and setting fire to buildings, the London-based Understanding Animal Research (UAR) launched the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK in 2014.

— david grimm, Science | AAAS, "‘A cataclysmic wake-up call’: Can more candor win back support for animal research?," 26 June 2018
Dogged by conflict—with religious extremism, and with neighboring India—and its own demographic and developmental challenges, Pakistan has struggled to establish its 21st-century identity on its own terms.

— ian volner, Curbed, "Pakistan’s first-ever Venice Architecture Biennale pavilion is all about cities," 6 June 2018
The solution to such legislative extremism isn’t for the other major party to become even more accommodating; killing one’s opponents with kindness doesn’t work on Capitol Hill.

— matt ford, The New Republic, "Do the Democrats Even Want Power?," 20 June 2018
It’s by design that the film latches on to Black cultural extremism and doesn’t let go.

— refinery29.com, "SuperFly Is A Nostalgic Reintroduction To Urban Fiction," 14 June 2018
The official said the suspect was born in November 1997 in the largely Muslim Russian republic of Chechnya, where extremism has long simmered.

— angela charlton and elaine ganley, chicagotribune.com, "Parents, friend of Chechnya-born Paris attacker questioned," 13 May 2018
So fighting extremism is not only by going against them, spreading moderation, this is part of it.

— Time, "Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Talks to TIME About the Middle East, Saudi Arabia's Plans and President Trump," 5 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'extremism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.