Definition

1. Noun:
   • Any political theory favoring immoderate uncompromising policies: Extremism is the holding of extreme political or religious views, often advocating for radical, uncompromising, and sometimes violent methods to achieve goals. It represents a significant deviation from mainstream or moderate positions.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The government condemned the rise of political extremism.
  • His speeches were criticized for promoting religious extremism.
  • The group's ideology was a dangerous form of extremism that rejected all dialogue.

Advanced Usage

• "to combat/fight extremism": to actively work against extremist ideologies.
  • The international coalition was formed to combat the spread of violent extremism.
• "the fringes of extremism": the most radical or outer edges of an extremist movement.
  • His views placed him on the fringes of political extremism.

Variants and Related Words

• Extremist (noun): A person who holds extreme views, especially in politics or religion.
  • The security forces arrested several suspected extremists.
• Extremist (adjective): Relating to or characteristic of extremists.
  • They were influenced by extremist propaganda.

Synonyms

• Radicalism: The beliefs or actions of people who advocate for thorough or complete political or social reform.
• Fanaticism: Excessive enthusiasm or zeal, often for a religious or political cause.
• Zealotry: Fanatical and uncompromising pursuit of religious, political, or other ideals.

Antonyms

• Moderation: The avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one's behavior or political opinions.
• Centrism: Political ideology that avoids the extremes of left and right by taking a moderate position.

Related Phrases and Contexts

• "violent extremism": extremism that explicitly advocates or uses violence to achieve its aims.
  • The conference focused on strategies to counter violent extremism online.
• "slide into extremism": the process of gradually adopting more and more extreme views.
  • Experts warned about the risk of alienated youths sliding into extremism.

Noun

1. any political theory favoring immoderate uncompromising policies