The practice of using extreme or radical methods and beliefs to achieve political, religious, or ideological goals, often viewed as dangerous.
From 'extreme' (from Latin 'extremus,' furthest) plus the suffix '-ism.' The term emerged in the 20th century to describe radical political and religious movements.
Extremism is interesting linguistically because it's almost always a label applied by others—groups rarely call themselves extremist; they call themselves 'patriots' or 'true believers,' showing how perspective shapes labels!
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