noun · formal

extremism

/ɪkˈstriːmɪzəm/ex·TREME·ism

Band 5-6speakingtask2

Actions or beliefs that are far from what most people accept, often involving violence for political or religious goals.

Examples

Governments often introduce laws to counter extremism and radicalisation.

Extremism is a frequent topic in modern geopolitics and security debates.

When writing a Task 2 essay you might discuss causes of political extremism.

Band 8 sentence

Addressing the socio-economic roots of extremism is essential if governments want long-term security solutions.

Collocations

  • violent extremism
  • counter extremism
  • rise of extremism

Word family

extremist noun / adjectiveextreme adjective

Common mistakes

a extremismextremism

extremismsforms of extremism

Say it for a higher band

5radicalism6political radicalism7+extremism

Synonyms

radicalism

Easily confused

fundamentalism

Not all fundamentalists become extremists, but some extremists claim religious justification for violence.

Related words

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In -ism

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