theodicy
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of theodicy
1790–1800; theo- + Greek dík(ē) “justice” + -y 3 ( def. ), modeled on French théodicée, a coinage of Leibniz
Explanation
Ever wondered how God could allow ice cream to melt, bubblegum to lose its flavor, and all kinds of even worse things? Well, there's branch of theology called theodicy that defends God's goodness in the face of such evils. The term comes from a book called Theodicee (from the Greek word for God, Theos, plus the Greek word for justice, dike) written by the famous seventeenth-century German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Leibniz. In it he argued that our world was in fact "the best of all possible worlds." He didn't mention ice cream or bubblegum, though.
Vocabulary lists containing theodicy
The Diviners
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The Book of Job: A Biography
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although the course, “Sociology of Hip-Hop: Urban Theodicy of Jay-Z,” was one of the most popular on campus, hip-hop was not seen as a field of legitimate scholarly inquiry.
From Washington Post • Dec. 4, 2019
Music at the service will be led by the Rev. Andy Barnett of Theodicy Jazz Collective.
From Washington Post • Feb. 5, 2016
Theodicy — the problem of evil — is an ongoing challenge for those of us not blessed or cursed with perfect faith.
From Washington Post • Nov. 30, 2015
It’s one of countless bullet points that cascade from the professor’s mind during what has become one of the most popular courses on campus — SOCI-124-01 or “Sociology of Hip-Hop — Urban Theodicy of Jay-Z.”
From Washington Post • Nov. 3, 2011
Leibnitz, in his Monadology, and more especially his Theodicy, witnessed to his belief in this doctrine.
From Reincarnation A Study in Human Evolution by Rothwell, Fred
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
