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

See Examples For:

doctrine doctrines

But the decree represents a significant loosening of decades-old communist doctrine.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

Beginning with tobacco, they refitted the dusty doctrine as a battering ram and swung it at guns, lead paint, opioids and oil companies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

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

At its heart lies one supreme government: the Lutheran hymn-chorale, with its simple, memorable tunes for the congregation - another of the central pillars of Pietist doctrine.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Military leaders, governments and defense companies disagree on whether to call the current developments a revolution that warrants a complete overhaul of existing doctrines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

Florian Galleri, a historian specialising in contemporary military studies and nuclear doctrines, also warned that Macron would have to tread carefully, pointing to his low approval ratings one year before the end of his presidency.

From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026

The writ of habeas corpus, as powerful as it is—and it is—has become more and more difficult to use thanks to layers of legal doctrines lately.

From Slate ● Feb. 17, 2026

We have built legal doctrines that reward escalation.

From Slate ● Jan. 25, 2026

Calvin objected to Europe’s dominant religious doctrines of his time.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

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