Meaning & use
fanaticism
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Meaning
noununcountabledisapproving
Extreme and unreasonable enthusiasm or devotion to a cause, belief, or activity.
Grammar: Uncountable; do not use 'a' or a plural. You can say 'a degree of fanaticism' but not 'fanaticisms'.
Patterns
- religious fanaticism
- political fanaticism
- fanaticism about something
The history book examines the rise of religious fanaticism in the region.
His fanaticism about diet and exercise sometimes worries his family.
The leader's fanaticism made compromise impossible.
Common combinations
- religious fanaticism
- Religious fanaticism has caused conflict throughout history.
- political fanaticism
- The party tried to distance itself from political fanaticism.
- blind fanaticism
- Blind fanaticism prevents people from seeing other points of view.
- a wave of fanaticism
- The country experienced a wave of fanaticism in the 1980s.
Synonyms and how they differ
- extremism
- Often used for political or religious beliefs that are far from what most people accept; 'fanaticism' stresses uncritical enthusiasm.
- zealotry
- A more formal and literary word for too much enthusiasm for a cause; it sounds stronger and more negative.
- obsession
- Focuses on a single idea that controls your mind; 'fanaticism' is more about devotion to a group, cause, or belief.
Opposites
Word family
- fanatic noun
- A person with extreme enthusiasm for something.
- fanatical adjective
- Having extreme and unreasonable enthusiasm.
- fanatically adverb
- In an extremely devoted or unreasonable way.
Commonly confused: fanaticism or fanatic?
fanaticism vs fanatic
'Fanatic' is a countable noun for a person, while 'fanaticism' is the uncountable noun for the attitude or behavior. You can say 'a fanatic' but not 'a fanaticism'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'fanaticism' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Fanaticism' is an uncountable noun, so it cannot take 'a', a plural, or a plural verb. Option 1 needs 'fanatic', option 2 is wrong because 'fanaticism' is uncountable, and option 3 is wrong because the verb should be 'is'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fanaticism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.