doctrine

American  

[dok-trin] / ˈdɒk trɪn /

noun

doctrines plural

1. a particular principle, position, or policy taught or advocated, as of a religion or government.

   Catholic doctrines;

   the Monroe Doctrine.

   Synonyms:

   belief, precept, theory, dogma, tenet

2. something that is taught; teachings collectively.

   religious doctrine.

3. a body or system of teachings relating to a particular subject.

   the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

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doctrine British  

/ ˌdɒktrɪˈnælɪtɪ, ˈdɒktrɪn, dɒkˈtraɪnəl /

noun

1. a creed or body of teachings of a religious, political, or philosophical group presented for acceptance or belief; dogma

2. a principle or body of principles that is taught or advocated

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• doctrinality
  noun
• doctrinism
  noun
• doctrinist
  noun
• self-doctrine
  noun
• doctrinal
  adjective
• doctrinally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• doctrines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of doctrine

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin doctrīna “teaching,” from doct(o)r doctor + -īna -ine ²

Explanation

A doctrine is a set of beliefs. The word comes from the Latin doctor for “teacher,” so think of a doctrine is the teachings of a school, religion, or political group. The Monroe Doctrine is the policy that President Monroe introduced in 1823 to limit European influence in the Americas. It has been a major part of U.S. foreign policy, but was revamped in 2013 by Secretary of State John Kerry in the Kerry Doctrine. Doctrine and doctor derive from the same Latin word, docere, which means "to teach": doctor means "teacher," and doctrina means "teaching, learning."

Example Sentences

United States, a 2018 case involving cellphone tower locating data, Chatrie made clear that the third-party doctrine just doesn’t make sense when it comes to smartphone data privacy.

From Slate • Jul. 1, 2026

It did not explicitly invoke the unitary executive theory, but its fealty to the doctrine was clear.

From Salon • Jul. 1, 2026

For decades, Fourth Amendment doctrine has rested uneasily upon the so-called third-party doctrine, the proposition that information voluntarily shared with someone else generally loses constitutional protection.

From Slate • Jun. 29, 2026

The doctrine does not prohibit all private benefit, he said, only what the federal tax code calls “impermissible” private benefit.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026

Zero conflicted with the fundamental philosophical beliefs of the West, for contained within zero are two ideas that were poisonous to Western doctrine.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• attitude
• axiom
• belief
• concept
• creed
• dogma
• precept
• proposition
• regulation
• rule
• statement
• teaching
• tenet
• tradition