noun · formal
fundamentalism
/ˌfʌndəˈmɛntəlɪzəm/fun·da·MEN·tal·ism
Strong, strict belief in the basic principles of a religion or ideology, often resisting change.
Examples
“Religious fundamentalism can affect education policies in some regions.”
“Debates about fundamentalism appear in Task 2 when discussing freedom of belief.”
“Some critics link fundamentalism to resistance to social reforms.”
Band 8 sentence
“Understanding the social roots of fundamentalism helps policymakers design more effective integration strategies.”
Collocations
- religious fundamentalism
- rise of fundamentalism
- fundamentalist groups
Word family
Common mistakes
a fundamentalism→fundamentalism
fundamentalism groups→fundamentalist groups
Say it for a higher band
5religious conservatism→6religious strictness→7+fundamentalism
Synonyms
dogmatism
Easily confused
extremism
“Extremism sometimes leads to violence, but not all fundamentalists are extremists.”
Related words
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In -ism
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