lunatic fringe

noun

1. members on the periphery of any group, especially political, social, or religious, who hold extreme or fanatical views.

lunatic fringe

noun

1. the members of a society or group who adopt or support views regarded as extreme or fanatical

lunatic fringe

1. Derogatory name for the extreme radical members of a group, especially in politics: “The candidate referred to the organization as being on the lunatic fringe of conservatism.” The term was coined by Theodore Roosevelt .

Word History and Origins

Origin of lunatic fringe¹

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15