Synonyms

indoctrination

American

[in-dok-truh-ney-shuhn] / ɪnˌdɒk trəˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

the act of indoctrinating, or teaching or inculcating a doctrine, principle, or ideology, especially one with a specific point of view.

religious indoctrination.

Other Word Forms

reindoctrination noun

Etymology

Origin of indoctrination

indoctrin(ate) + -ation

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.

The military had four major departments overseeing operations, arms procurement, logistics and indoctrination, and seven major “military regions,” each operating like independent fiefs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

For Shipka, it was her true indoctrination into this wild world.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026

Nor is there any suggestion of indoctrination over social media.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2025

Everyone has to agree, it's really been drummed into us — and I went to business school, I've been through this indoctrination process — that everyone works for the shareholder.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2025

They had been subjected to twelve years of Nazi propaganda and indoctrination.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023