fundamentalism

[ fuhn-duh-men-tl-iz-uh m ]
/ ˌfʌn dəˈmɛn tlˌɪz əm /

noun

(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.
the beliefs held by those in this movement.
strict adherence to any set of basic ideas or principles: the fundamentalism of the extreme conservatives.

Origin of fundamentalism

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

OTHER WORDS FROM fundamentalism

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

Words nearby fundamentalism

fundamental interaction, fundamental law, fundamental particle, fundamental sequence, fundamental star, fundamentalism, fundamentalist, fundamentally, fundectomy, funded debt, fundholding

Example sentences from the Web for fundamentalism

British Dictionary definitions for fundamentalism

fundamentalism
/ (ˌfʌndəˈmɛntəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

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

Derived forms of fundamentalism

fundamentalist, noun, adjective fundamentalistic, adjective

Cultural definitions for fundamentalism

fundamentalism

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 for fundamentalism

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