orthodoxy

American  

[awr-thuh-dok-see] / ˈɔr θəˌdɒk si /

noun

• orthodoxies
  plural

1. orthodox belief or practice.

2. orthodox character.

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orthodoxy British  

/ ˈɔːθəˌdɒksɪ /

noun

1. orthodox belief or practice

2. the quality of being orthodox

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antiorthodoxy
  noun
• hyperorthodoxy
  noun
• unorthodoxy
  noun
• pro-orthodoxy
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• orthodoxies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of orthodoxy

1620–30; < Late Latin orthodoxia < Greek orthodoxía right opinion, equivalent to orthódox ( os ) ( see orthodox) + -ia -y ³

Compare meaning

How does orthodoxy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• orthodoxy vs. orthopraxy

Explanation

A widely accepted belief or theory is an orthodoxy. You could call the scientific theory of gravity an orthodoxy, since it's generally considered to be an established fact. The word orthodoxy comes from the Greek root words orthos, which means right, true or straight, and doxa, opinion. So orthodoxy describes the one true opinion. The noun orthodoxy, pronounced "OR-thuh-dock-see," is most commonly used to talk about religious beliefs. When you conform to the orthodoxy of a particular religion, you follow its accepted doctrines, like a Christian's belief in an all-powerful God.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

orthodoxy orthodoxies

He was sent to do farm work and didn’t regain his political status until 1978, when Deng pivoted China away from Communist orthodoxy after Mao’s death.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Measured in volatility, the S&P 500 over that period has been less “risky,” just as Wall Street orthodoxy would suggest.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

But there is no shortage of evangelists who will point to Musk's staggering ability to raise money, challenge orthodoxy and prove his doubters wrong.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

Organized by MoMA’s Ann Temkin and Michelle Kuo and Philadelphia’s Matthew Affron, “Marcel Duchamp” functions as a multi-museum-sanctioned liturgy—the canonization of contemporary art’s high priest, along with his orthodoxy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

From 1538 the new understanding of earth and water as making up a single sphere became an orthodoxy among both Protestant and Catholic astronomers.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

I don’t generally cling to old beliefs, I tend to admire those who have dissented against prevailing orthodoxies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

One by one, the authors attempt to demolish the orthodoxies of space enthusiasts.

From Slate ● Dec. 9, 2025

What Field admired was Powell's willingness to challenge his own party's leadership and orthodoxies - even if it effectively removed him from office.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2024

Many of his opinions seemed intended to outrage liberals and modernists, or at least force them to question their orthodoxies.

From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2023

As to the Roman and Protestant orthodoxies they are on the same footing.

From Communism and Christianism Analyzed and Contrasted from the Marxian and Darwinian Points of View by William Montgomery Brown

Related Words

• belief
• doctrine
• tradition