What does fanatics mean?
Fanatics is the plural of fanatic, denoting people whose zeal for a cause, belief, or pursuit has crossed from passion into excess. The word is most often used of religious, political, or ideological extremists whose unwavering conviction makes them intolerant of opposing views, and in these contexts it is unmistakably pejorative — few labels are more damning than calling someone a fanatic. Yet the term also has a milder, almost affectionate application: fitness fanatics, football fanatics, and coffee fanatics are people whose enthusiasm is merely intense rather than dangerous. This range gives the word real flexibility, letting writers calibrate disapproval precisely. Historically, fanatics traces back through the Latin fanaticus, inspired by a deity or belonging to a temple (fanum), and entered English around the sixteenth century, quickly acquiring its association with frenzied, unreasoning devotion. Whether describing terrorists or triathletes, fanatics captures the point at which commitment stops being admirable and starts being unsettling.
nounFanatics is the plural of fanatic: people filled with excessive and often single-minded enthusiasm or zeal, especially for an extreme religious, political, or ideological cause.
- People exhibiting extravagant, irrational, or immoderate zeal for a cause, belief, or activity, especially in religion or politics.
- People with intense, sometimes obsessive enthusiasm for a hobby, team, or pursuit (often used more loosely and less disapprovingly, as in fitness fanatics).
"The regime was driven by fanatics who tolerated no dissent whatsoever."
"History offers countless cautionary tales of fanatics who mistook certainty for virtue."
"The gym was packed at six in the morning with fitness fanatics training for their next competition."
Fanatics is itself the standard plural of the noun fanatic; it takes plural verb agreement and refers collectively to multiple such people.
"The sect was led by fanatics convinced the end was near."
A fanatic was originally someone who attended a temple — Latin fanum meant 'shrine' — which is also why 'profane' literally means 'outside the temple.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does fanatics come from?
Fanatics comes from Latin fanaticus, meaning 'pertaining to a temple' (from fanum, a shrine or sacred place) and by extension 'frenzied, inspired by a deity.' The word passed into English in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, where it was first applied to religious zealots, especially during periods of sectarian conflict. It shares this temple root with 'profane,' which literally denotes what lies outside the sacred precinct, and it has spawned the related forms fanatic, fanatical, and fanaticism.
Related word forms
How fanatics is actually used
The singular 'fanatic' is far more common; the plural typically appears when discussing groups, movements, or crowds. Register matters: applied to religion or politics, the word is strongly pejorative and condemnatory; applied to hobbies or fitness, it softens into something closer to 'enthusiast' and can even carry grudging admiration. In American English, 'fan' is the neutral everyday alternative for sports and entertainment contexts, while 'fanatic' keeps its harsher edge.