fundamentalism

noun

fun·da·men·tal·ism | \ˌfən-də-ˈmen-tə-ˌli-zəm

Definition of fundamentalism

1a 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

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Other Words from fundamentalism

fundamentalist \ ˌfən-də-ˈmen-tə-list

\ noun

fundamentalist or fundamentalistic \ ˌfən-də-ˌmen-tə-ˈli-stik

\ adjective

Examples of fundamentalism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The surprising result is rare good news for supporters of liberal democracy elsewhere around Southeast Asia, a region that has mostly been lurching toward autocracy, violence and religious fundamentalism in recent years. — King Chai Woon, Washington Post, "Malaysians usher in a new era as they usher out the ruling coalition," 10 May 2018 The displacement of this kind of conservatism by political ideology, religious fundamentalism, and constitutional recklessness should not just be of concern to those on the center-right. — Andrew Sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Anthony Kennedy and the Death of True American Conservatism," 29 June 2018 As now with the debates over Islamic fundamentalism, these Cold-War arguments were hotly contested. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Richard Pipes," 17 May 2018 In his view Islamic fundamentalism was at war with both secularism and modernism, as embodied by the West. — Douglas Martin, BostonGlobe.com, "Bernard Lewis, 101, influential scholar of Islam," 22 May 2018 Will must contend with Phoebe’s spiral into Christian fundamentalism and the group’s eventual embrace of violence. — New York Times, "4 Writers to Watch This Summer," 17 May 2018 Fear of Islamic fundamentalism is a populist refrain for the right. — Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, "What May Life in Italy Be Like Under the Right? These Immigrants Already Know," 29 Apr. 2018 The result was a Muslim fundamentalism that coincided with yet another fateful event of 1979: the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. — Karl Vick, Time, "The Saudi Crown Prince Thinks He Can Transform the Middle East. Should We Believe Him?," 5 Apr. 2018 But the causes of destruction prove disturbingly resilient: Revisionism, fascism, and fundamentalism take on new forms, finding footholds in new corners of the world. — Linda Kinstler, The New Republic, "How 1947 Changed the World," 5 Apr. 2018

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