fanaticism
noun
- belief or behavior involving uncritical zeal or an obsessive enthusiasm
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /fəˈnæt.ɪ.sɪ.zəm/ / /fəˈnæɾ.ɪ.sɪ.zm̩/
noun
Etymology: Etymology tree Latin fānāticuslbor. ▲ French fanatiqueinflu. English fanatic Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English fanaticism From fanatic + -ism.
- The characteristic or practice of being a fanatic.
“The demon of fanaticism was the shape which it took with us; and verily, what with religious republicans, harmonists, quakers, fifth-monarchy men, presbyterians, and the reign of the saints upon earth, it needs the strong hand of a Cromwell to reduce the spiritual chaos to any sort of order.”
“Witch-hunting became a mania, with all the abuses and excesses which invariably develop with fanaticism.”