fundamentalism

[ fuhn-duh-men-tl-iz-uhm ]

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a religious movement characterized by a strict belief in the literal interpretation of religious texts, especially within American Protestantism and Islam.
2. the beliefs held by those in this movement.
3. strict adherence to any set of basic ideas or principles:

   the fundamentalism of the extreme conservatives.

fundamentalism

/ ˌfʌndəˈmɛntəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. Christianity (esp among certain Protestant sects) the belief that every word of the Bible is divinely inspired and therefore true
2. Islam a movement favouring strict observance of the teachings of the Koran and Islamic law
3. strict adherence to the fundamental principles of any set of beliefs

fundamentalism

1. A conservative movement in theology among nineteenth- and twentieth-century Christians (see also Christian ). Fundamentalists believe that the statements in the Bible (see also Bible ) are literally true.

Notes

Fundamentalists often argue against the theory of evolution . ( See Scopes trial .)

Derived Forms

• ˌfundaˈmentalist, nounadjective
• ˌfundaˌmentalˈistic, adjective

Other Words From

• funda·mental·ist noun adjective
• anti·funda·mental·ism noun
• anti·funda·mental·ist noun adjective
• nonfun·da·mental·ist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fundamentalism¹

1920–25, Americanism; fundamental + -ism; originally in reference to the American Protestant fundamentalism movement, which arose in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in reaction to modernism

Example Sentences

In the world of Christian fundamentalism, for instance, this is a popular meme illustrating how they see family:

From Salon

Christian fundamentalism is a competitive sport, with adherents often trying to outdo each other by escalating their extremism.

From Salon

This one is set in Pakistan, in the midst of debates about religious fundamentalism and gender roles, but the outlines are familiar even to audiences in very different circumstances.

From New York Times

Democracy as an ideal, promise, and working practice is under assault, just as a number of far-right educational, market, military, and religious fundamentalisms are gaining ascendancy in American society.

From Salon

She continued, "In chaotic times, people crave order, they crave fundamentalism. They want formulas."

From Salon