Monroe Doctrine

American  

noun

U.S. History.

1. the policy, as stated by President Monroe in 1823, that the U.S. opposed further European colonization of and interference with independent nations in the Western Hemisphere.

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Monroe doctrine British  

noun

1. a principle of US foreign policy that opposes the influence or interference of outside powers in the Americas

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Monroe Doctrine Cultural  

1. A statement of foreign policy issued by President James Monroe in 1823, declaring that the United States would not tolerate intervention by European nations in the affairs of nations in the Americas. Monroe also promised that the United States would not interfere with European colonies already established or with governments in Europe.

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Example Sentences

But Hamilton’s belief that the Western Hemisphere should be closed to European meddling was memorialized in 1823’s Monroe Doctrine External link.

From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026

"The Monroe Doctrine is a big deal, but we've superseded it by a lot," Trump said at Mar-a-Lago.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026

The Monroe Doctrine dates back to the U.S. president in 1823 who articulated his opposition to further European colonization of Latin America which he asserted would henceforth be a U.S. sphere of influence.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 30, 2025

Once a relic of 19th-century U.S. diplomacy, the Monroe Doctrine is back.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

It can stand in for anything—a stuffed piranha, existentialism, the Monroe Doctrine, or buttered toast.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner