fundamentalist
gb/fˌʌndəmˈɛntəlɪst/ us/fˌʌndəmˈɛntəlɪst/
C1
English
~ 6600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
C1
entity
1
strict, literal religious believer
Someone who believes their religion’s rules and stories must be followed exactly as written, and who usually rejects modern changes.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a fundamentalist; fundamentalist [group/movement]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "fundamentalist" with "fundamental". "Fundamental" describes something basic or essential (e.g., "fundamental rights"), while "fundamentalist" refers to a person (or, as an adjective, an attitude) that is very strict and literal, especially in religion.
Synonyms
religious hardliner (emphasizes strict, uncompromising views but does not always imply literal interpretation of scripture)
|
religious extremist (stronger and more negative; often implies support for or sympathy with violence)
Antonyms
religious moderate (someone with more flexible religious views who accepts compromise and some modern ideas)
|
liberal believer (someone who interprets religious teachings more loosely and is open to change)
Collocations
religious fundamentalist
|Islamic fundamentalist
|Christian fundamentalist
|fundamentalist group
|fundamentalist movement
|fundamentalist preacher
Themes
religion
|society
|politics
Examples
- The party has been under pressure from religious fundamentalists to tighten abortion laws.
- Some fundamentalists insist that every word of the holy text is historically accurate.
- The new government tried to limit the influence of fundamentalists in the school system.
- She grew up in a fundamentalist community that discouraged higher education for women.
- Fundamentalists clashed with more moderate clerics over how the scriptures should be taught.
Learner examples
- The village is controlled by religious fundamentalists.
- Fundamentalists say that their holy book is always right.
- Some fundamentalists do not accept modern science.
- Her parents are fundamentalists and follow very strict rules.
Noun
C1
entity
2
rigid believer in an ideology
Someone who strongly believes in an idea, like a political or economic system, and refuses to change or compromise.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a fundamentalist about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "fundamentalist" can only be used for religion. In modern English it is also common to use it for strong, rigid believers in non-religious ideas, often with a slightly ironic or critical tone.
Synonyms
ideologue (formal; stresses strict devotion to an ideology, not necessarily with religious overtones)
|
purist (focuses on keeping something in its original or "pure" form; can be less political than "fundamentalist")
Antonyms
pragmatist (someone who focuses on what works in practice rather than strictly following a fixed theory)
|
moderate (someone who avoids extreme positions and is open to compromise)
Collocations
market fundamentalist
|free-market fundamentalist
|economic fundamentalist
|capitalist fundamentalist
|neoliberal fundamentalist
Themes
politics
|economics
|society
Examples
- Critics say he is a market fundamentalist who trusts the free market to solve every problem.
- She is no fundamentalist; she is willing to adjust her economic theories when the data changes.
- The report warns that climate-policy fundamentalists on both sides are blocking practical solutions.
- As a privacy fundamentalist, he rejected any form of online tracking, no matter the benefits.
- Some education fundamentalists oppose any change to the traditional exam system.
Learner examples
- He is a market fundamentalist and believes the state should stay out of business.
- She is a real fundamentalist about health and never eats sugar.
- Many voters are tired of economic fundamentalists who refuse to compromise.
- The mayor is not a fundamentalist; he listens and changes his plans.
adjective
C1
property
3
relating to strict religious belief
Describes religious ideas, groups, or behavior that are very strict and follow holy texts exactly as written, usually against modern changes.
Usage pattern:
fundamentalist [group/view/interpretation]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "fundamentalist" instead of "fundamental" in phrases like "fundamental rights" or "fundamental question". "Fundamentalist" should describe people or things connected to strict belief systems, especially religious ones, not basic or important facts.
Synonyms
ultra-conservative (stresses very conservative positions; not limited to religion and not always about literal scripture)
|
strictly religious (describes strong religious practice but may not fully capture the idea of rejecting modernity)
Antonyms
moderate (describes religious views that are less strict and more open to modern ideas)
|
liberal (describes religious views that are relatively open, flexible, and accepting of change)
Collocations
fundamentalist views
|fundamentalist ideology
|fundamentalist interpretation
|fundamentalist movement
|fundamentalist government
|fundamentalist doctrine
Themes
religion
|society
|politics
Examples
- The new laws reflect a more fundamentalist approach to social issues.
- She rejected the fundamentalist interpretation of the text and argued for a historical reading.
- Fundamentalist leaders called for a ban on music and cinema in the region.
- The country has struggled with the rise of fundamentalist parties in recent elections.
- Many young people are leaving fundamentalist communities in search of more freedom.
Learner examples
- The group follows very fundamentalist religious rules.
- He grew up in a fundamentalist home with many strict ideas.
- Fundamentalist leaders did not allow girls to go to school.
- Some people are afraid of fundamentalist political power.
adjective
C1
property
4
showing rigid ideological belief
Describes ideas or behavior where a person follows a theory or system, like economics or politics, in a very hard and inflexible way.
Usage pattern:
fundamentalist [approach/stance/mindset]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this adjective always refers to religion. In many modern texts, especially about politics and economics, "fundamentalist" can describe very strict non-religious ideas as well.
Synonyms
dogmatic (focuses on refusing to question beliefs; not limited to politics or economics)
|
rigid (general term for not willing to change; less tied to ideology than "fundamentalist")
Antonyms
flexible (willing to change or adapt ideas when needed)
|
pragmatic (focuses on practical results instead of strictly following a fixed theory)
Collocations
fundamentalist approach
|fundamentalist stance
|fundamentalist mindset
|fundamentalist position
|fundamentalist policies
Themes
politics
|economics
|society
Examples
- The minister’s fundamentalist approach to budget cuts left no room for negotiation.
- Critics argue that such a fundamentalist free-market policy ignores social costs.
- Her fundamentalist position on data privacy makes cooperation with other agencies difficult.
- A less fundamentalist stance on immigration could help the parties reach a compromise.
- The report blames fundamentalist economic thinking for the lack of investment in public services.
Learner examples
- The company has a fundamentalist focus on profit only.
- His fundamentalist approach to rules makes work very hard.
- The mayor used a less fundamentalist plan and found a deal.
- Some leaders have a fundamentalist view of free markets.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fundamentalist
IPA
GB/fˌʌndəmˈɛntəlɪst/
US/fˌʌndəmˈɛntəlɪst/
Syllables & stress
fun - da - ment - al - ist (5 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ment)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fundamentalist
- Plural: fundamentalists
Word family
Expressions
Christian fundamentalist
1/kɹˈɪst͡ʃən fˌʌndəmˈɛntəlɪst/
fixed phrase
strict, literal Christian believer
A Christian who follows the Bible in a very strict and literal way and usually rejects many modern ideas and lifestyles.
Examples
- She was raised by Christian fundamentalists who banned television in the home.
- Some Christian fundamentalists campaign against the teaching of evolution in schools.
fundamentalist Christian
1/fˌʌndəmˈɛntəlɪst kɹˈɪst͡ʃən/
fixed phrase
Christian with strict literal beliefs
A Christian who follows the Bible in a very strict and literal way and usually rejects many modern ideas and customs.
Examples
- Her uncle is a fundamentalist Christian who home-schools his children.
- The town has a large number of fundamentalist Christians who vote as a bloc.
Islamic fundamentalist
1/ɪzlˈɑmɪk fˌʌndəmˈɛntəlɪst/
fixed phrase
strict, literal Muslim believer
A Muslim who follows Islam in a very strict and literal way and usually rejects modern ideas and customs.
Examples
- The group is led by Islamic fundamentalists who oppose any talks with the government.
- Some media reports wrongly label all conservative Muslims as Islamic fundamentalists.
market fundamentalist
1/mˈɑɹkɪt fˌʌndəmˈɛntəlɪst/
fixed phrase
rigid believer in free markets
Someone who believes very strongly that free markets can solve almost all problems and that the government should interfere as little as possible.
Examples
- Her critics call her a market fundamentalist who ignores the needs of the poor.
- After the crisis, even market fundamentalists accepted the need for stronger rules.
religious fundamentalist
1/ɹɪlˈɪd͡ʒəs fˌʌndəmˈɛntəlɪst/
fixed phrase
person with strict religious beliefs
A person who follows their religion in a very strict and literal way and usually rejects modern ideas.
Examples
- The new law was strongly supported by religious fundamentalists.
- She says she is a religious fundamentalist and cannot accept the reform.