fun·da·men·tal·ism
ˌfən-də-ˈmen-tə-ˌli-zəm 
1
a
often Fundamentalism
: 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
fun·da·men·tal·ist
¦fən-də-¦men-tə-list
plural -s
1
sometimes capitalized
: an adherent or proponent of Protestant fundamentalism
2
: an extreme conservative
especially
: one who attacks any deviation from certain doctrines and practices he considers essential (as to a religious, political, or educational system)
a political fundamentalist … could reduce the shadings of any political controversy into a black-and-white conflict between free enterprise and socialism —
Time
Time 3
often capitalized
: a member of a small dissident Mormon sect continuing to practice polygamy after its outlawry in 1890
fun·da·men·tal·ist
¦fən-də-¦men-tə-list
variants
or fundamentalistic
: of, adhering to, or marked by fundamentalism
comparing the neoorthodox with the fundamentalist position
a fundamentalist revival preacher
an economic outlook strongly fundamentalist in tone
Examples of fundamentalism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
Her mother found help and resources with other home-schooling residents and slowly the family entered the world of fundamentalism.
—Rachel Clarke, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
To these men, Pagli’s death has offered them an opportunity to express their religious fundamentalism.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
The Secret Commonwealth is the condemnation of a world where imagination—not making things up, but a way of seeing, understanding, feeling the world—is suppressed by the dual forces of cold rationality and religious fundamentalisms that breed authoritarianism.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fundamentalism
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Noun
Evangelicalism and Christian fundamentalism have been especially associated with white Protestant communities in the region.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
Her mother found help and resources with other home-schooling residents and slowly the family entered the world of fundamentalism.
—Rachel Clarke, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
To these men, Pagli’s death has offered them an opportunity to express their religious fundamentalism.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
The Secret Commonwealth is the condemnation of a world where imagination—not making things up, but a way of seeing, understanding, feeling the world—is suppressed by the dual forces of cold rationality and religious fundamentalisms that breed authoritarianism.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fundamentalism
Cite this Entry
“Fundamentalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fundamentalism. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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