of, relating to, or conforming to the approved form of any doctrine, philosophy, ideology, etc.
of, relating to, or conforming to beliefs, attitudes, or modes of conduct that are generally approved.
customary or conventional, as a means or method; established.
sound or correct in opinion or doctrine, especially theological or religious doctrine.
conforming to the Christian faith as represented in the creeds of the early church.
Orthodox,
of, relating to, or designating the Eastern Church, especially the Greek Orthodox Church.
of, relating to, or characteristic of Orthodox Jews or Orthodox Judaism.
of or relating to the Orthodox Church of the East
(sometimes not capital)
of or relating to Orthodox Judaism
(of an individual Jew) strict in the observance of Talmudic law and in personal devotions
conforming with established or accepted standards, as in religion, behaviour, or attitudes
conforming to the Christian faith as established by the early Church
First recorded in 1575–85; from Late Latin orthodoxus “right in religion,” from Late Greek orthódoxos, equivalent to ortho- ortho- + dóx(a) “belief, opinion” + -os adjective suffix
Orthodox practices or beliefs are generally accepted as true or correct. If you are an orthodox vegetarian, you never, ever eat meat — not like those people who have fish once in a while. When capitalized, Orthodox is the name of the Eastern Church, originally distinguished by its doctrinal differences from the other divisions of the Christian Church. Orthodox is also the name of the branch of Judaism that strictly follows traditional beliefs and customs, derived from orthodox in the earlier meaning of "strictly observant."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, an 11th-century monastery with emblematic golden domes, is venerated by both the Russian and Ukrainian wings of the Orthodox Church as one of their most important spiritual centres.
From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026
On Monday, the leader of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy, called for prayers for the salvation of the cathedral, calling the damage “another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
Shomrim said it is "aware of the fact that the Orthodox Jewish community is exceptionally concerned about these threats" and said it is working closely with both Hackney and Tower Hamlets police.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
The two sides also held a ceasefire for the Orthodox Easter last year.
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
Darryl is a professor of social and religious history, an elder in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and still a religious conservative—though not always predictably so.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
