doctrinaire

[ dok-truh-nair ]
See synonyms for: doctrinairedoctrinaires on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a person who tries to apply some doctrine or theory without sufficient regard for practical considerations; an impractical theorist.

adjective
  1. dogmatic about others' acceptance of one's ideas; fanatical: a doctrinaire preacher.

  2. merely theoretical; impractical.

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a doctrinaire.

Origin of doctrinaire

1
From French, dating back to 1810–20; see origin at doctrine, -aire

Other words for doctrinaire

Opposites for doctrinaire

Other words from doctrinaire

  • doc·tri·nair·ism, noun
  • non·doc·tri·naire, adjective
  • o·ver·doc·tri·naire, adjective
  • un·doc·tri·naire, adjective

Words that may be confused with doctrinaire

Words Nearby doctrinaire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use doctrinaire in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for doctrinaire

doctrinaire

/ (ˌdɒktrɪˈnɛə) /


adjective
  1. stubbornly insistent on the observation of the niceties of a theory, esp without regard to practicality, suitability, etc

  2. theoretical; impractical

noun
  1. a person who stubbornly attempts to apply a theory without regard to practical difficulties

Derived forms of doctrinaire

  • doctrinairism or doctrinarism, noun
  • doctrinarian, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012