dogma

American  

[dawg-muh, dog-] / ˈdɔg mə, ˈdɒg- /

noun

plural

dogmas,

plural

dogmata

1. an official system of principles or tenets concerning faith, morals, behavior, etc., as of a church.

   Synonyms:

   philosophy, doctrine

2. a specific tenet or doctrine authoritatively laid down, as by a church.

   the dogma of the Assumption;

   the recently defined dogma of papal infallibility.

   Synonyms:

   law, canon, tenet

3. prescribed doctrine proclaimed as unquestionably true by a particular group.

   the difficulty of resisting political dogma.

4. a settled or established opinion, belief, or principle.

   the classic dogma of objectivity in scientific observation.

   Synonyms:

   certainty, conviction

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dogma British  

/ ˈdɒɡmə /

noun

1. a religious doctrine or system of doctrines proclaimed by ecclesiastical authority as true

2. a belief, principle, or doctrine or a code of beliefs, principles, or doctrines

   Marxist dogma

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dogma Cultural  

1. A teaching or set of teachings laid down by a religious group, usually as part of the essential beliefs of the group.

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Pop Culture

— Dogma: A film written and directed by Kevin Smith, released in 1999. —Dogma 95: A movement in cinema started by Danish director Lars von Trier in 1995, which established filmmaking constraints such as no use of special effects.

Discover More

The term dogma is often applied to statements put forward by someone who thinks, inappropriately, that they should be accepted without proof.

Etymology

Origin of dogma

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin: “philosophical tenet, principle, dogma,” from Greek dógma “what seems good, opinion, belief, (in philosophy) doctrine; decision, public decree, ordinance,” equivalent to dok(eîn) “to expect, think, seem, seem good, pretend” + -ma noun suffix

Explanation

Dogma means the doctrine of belief in a religion or a political system. The literal meaning of dogma in ancient Greek was "something that seems true." These days, in English, dogma is more absolute. If you believe in a certain religion or philosophy, you believe in its dogma, or core assumptions. If you belong to a cult that believes that cupcake consumption is the only true path, then you follow the cupcake dogma. Dogma, once adopted, is accepted without question. Go eat cupcakes!

Example Sentences

For more than a century, the phrase “sell in May and go away, and come back on St. Leger’s Day,” has been treated as dogma by many financial pundits.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

But Bill Sutherland, a biologist at the University of Cambridge, has found that some dogma in conservation is flat-out wrong when put to the test.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026

But the head coach's absolute belief in his methods occasionally strayed into dogma, and his apparent refusal to adapt - or incorporate just a little more pragmatism - proved costly.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

In a bid to boost competitiveness, he has said he wants to scrap company dogma and the practice of “not taking decisions because we don’t take decisions.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

Teaching such an ancient Sapiens English, persuading him of the truth of Christian dogma, or getting him to understand the theory of evolution would probably have been hopeless undertakings.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• credo
• creed
• doctrine
• gospel
• precept
• teachings
• tenet