doctrine
Americannoun
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a particular principle, position, or policy taught or advocated, as of a religion or government.
Catholic doctrines;
the Monroe Doctrine.
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something that is taught; teachings collectively.
religious doctrine.
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a body or system of teachings relating to a particular subject.
the doctrine of the Catholic Church.
noun
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a creed or body of teachings of a religious, political, or philosophical group presented for acceptance or belief; dogma
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a principle or body of principles that is taught or advocated
Other Word Forms
- doctrinal adjective
- doctrinality noun
- doctrinally adverb
- doctrinism noun
- doctrinist noun
- self-doctrine noun
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
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.
He paid tribute to the quality of the speeches made on the basis of personal opinion rather than party political doctrine.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
Revelation, God’s relation to the human, is an even more intimate shock: not a doctrine delivered, but an address, an encounter in which the “I” discovers itself summoned as a “you.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
This law encompasses everyone involved in that felony, holding them equally responsible under a doctrine called accomplice liability.
From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026
The doctrine aims not merely at air superiority but at air supremacy -- the difference between having an advantage in the air versus total dominance of an airspace.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
On one such lazy, hot summer night Granny, my mother, and Aunt Addie were sitting on the front porch, arguing some obscure point of religious doctrine.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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.
