dogmatic
Americanadjective
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relating to or of the nature of a dogma or dogmas or any strong set of principles concerning faith, morals, etc., as those laid down by a church; doctrinal.
We hear dogmatic arguments from both sides of the political spectrum.
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asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated.
I refuse to argue with someone so dogmatic that he won't listen to reason.
- Synonyms:
- dictatorial, imperious, arbitrary
adjective
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(of a statement, opinion, etc) forcibly asserted as if authoritative and unchallengeable
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(of a person) prone to making such statements
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of, relating to, or constituting dogma
dogmatic writings
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based on assumption rather than empirical observation
Other Word Forms
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antidogmaticadjective
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antidogmaticaladjective
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antidogmaticallyadverb
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dogmaticallyadverb
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dogmaticalnessnoun
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nondogmaticadjective
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nondogmaticaladjective
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nondogmaticallyadverb
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overdogmaticadjective
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overdogmaticaladjective
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overdogmaticallyadverb
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overdogmaticalnessnoun
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undogmaticadjective
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undogmaticaladjective
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undogmaticallyadverb
Etymology
Origin of dogmatic
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Late Latin dogmaticus, from Greek dogmatikós, equivalent to dogmat- (stem of dógma dogma ) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
To be dogmatic is to follow a set of rules no matter what. The rules might be religious, philosophical, or made-up, but dogmatic people would never waver in their beliefs so don’t even think of trying to change their minds. Dogmatic goes back to the Greek words dogma, which means basically “what one thinks is true” and dogmatikos, “pertaining to doctrine.” To be dogmatic is to follow a doctrine relating to morals and faith, a set of beliefs that is passed down and never questioned. It also refers to arrogant opinions based on unproven theories or even despite facts. Someone dogmatic might insist that dinosaurs never existed or that women shouldn’t drive. Dogmatic people are usually not very popular.
Vocabulary lists containing dogmatic
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Grade 11, List 2
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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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.
For him, O’Neill is not overly dogmatic or politically compromised, and could be an effective director with the best intentions, who understands the necessity of trusting the scientific process.
From Salon • May 7, 2026
On trade, he said Europe and the US had "made mistakes together" by adopting a "dogmatic vision of free and unfettered trade".
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
Worse, in the context of today’s flyaway stock market, he is a principled, value-minded, dogmatic nonconformist.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
But he wasn’t dogmatic in any way, he was just trying to do his level best, you know, to do justice.
From Slate • May 9, 2025
But for all the attention paid to such rituals, Buddhism as practiced by the Sherpas was a refreshingly supple and non- dogmatic religion.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
