doctrine
DOK-trin
/ˈdɒktrɪn/
A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group.
Refers to official teaching or policy established by an authority, applicable in both religious and political spheres.
The story behind the word. Directly descended from Latin 'doctrina', meaning teaching or instruction, derived from 'docere' (to teach). It originally meant anything that was taught, but eventually narrowed to official principles taught by religious or political authorities.
Word relationships
- tenet: A tenet is a single principle held as true, while a doctrine is often a comprehensive system of beliefs.
- creed: A creed is a concise formal statement of belief recited by followers.
- heresy: Heresy is a belief that directly opposes official doctrine.
Commonly confused with
- dogma: Dogma is an authoritative doctrine that cannot be questioned; doctrine can sometimes be updated or modified.
Word family
- doctrinal (adjective): Relating to doctrine.
- indoctrinate (verb): To teach a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.
Collocations
- official doctrine
- monroe doctrine
- sound doctrine
- religious doctrine
Example sentences
- "The Monroe Doctrine shaped American foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere for decades." Foreign policy
- "The church council gathered to clarify official Christian doctrine." Religious council
Memory hook
DOCTOR means teacher in Latin; a DOCTRINE is what a teacher teaches. A doctor teaches doctrine.
When not to use
Avoid using for casual, unwritten personal opinions.
Fun facts
- The word 'doctor' originally meant 'teacher of doctrine' before it was applied to medical practitioners.
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