extremism

noun

Definition of extremismnext
as in excessiveness
belief in and support for ideas that are very far from what most people consider correct or reasonable political extremism

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of extremism AfD vehemently rejects accusations of extremism and argues the agency is being used as a political instrument by mainstream parties. — David Keyton, Christian Science Monitor, 4 July 2026 Jacob deGrom infamously was reportedly happy to leave New York for Texas, in part because of New York's political extremism and COVID-19 restrictions, as just one example. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 Concha argued that her positions and rhetoric reflect a broader shift in the Democratic Party toward socialism and extremism. — Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 30 June 2026 The lesson of this primary season is that extremism is on the march in this country. — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for extremism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extremism
  1. excessiveness
  2. excess
  3. radicalism
  4. irrationality
  5. unreasonableness
Noun
  • This excessiveness can hinder critical knowledge building because of the sheer amount of information that can be accessed simultaneously at any time.
    — Carmen Daniela Maier, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
Definition of excessiveness
Noun
  • And crypto, for all its volatility and excess, happens to be one of the only industries that spent the last decade obsessively building internet-native money.
    — Markus Levin, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Visually, Hornbill avoids the excess that often defines heavy-duty folders.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 July 2026
Definition of excess
Noun
  • One of the insurgents, a doctoral student in sociology named Darializa Avila Chevalier, is far more emblematic of the DSA’s radicalism.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • For those manufacturers, and for the neoliberals who appropriated Kahlo to sell free trade with Mexico, her life of political radicalism is left unmentioned.
    — Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of radicalism
Noun
  • Despite the seriocomic set-up, as Vibeke gets more unstable, Mengel refuses to play her irrationality for laughs, instead taking the more difficult route of earnestness.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 7 July 2026
  • Moreover, experts should introduce deliberate irrationality to disrupt the model’s predictive path.
    — Syed Ahmad, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Definition of irrationality
Noun
  • If the assassination made the President a Christlike figure, his forbearance in the face of a wife’s unreasonableness provides him with an extra measure of purity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
Definition of unreasonableness

Browse Nearby Words

extremes
extremism
extremist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Extremism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extremism. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All