Added 10 October 2026
fanatic
/fəˈnæt.ɪk/ noun
Latin root: fānāticus First recorded: 1525 Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about fanatic at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A person motivated by irrational enthusiasm (as for a cause).
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject
adjective
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Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea.
rabid isolationist
Origin
First attested in 1525. Learned borrowing from Latin fānāticus (“of a temple, divinely inspired, frenzied”), from fānum (“temple”). Influenced by French fanatique.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)