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  • orthodox
    orthodox
    adjective
    of, relating to, or conforming to the approved form of any doctrine, philosophy, ideology, etc.
  • Orthodox
    Orthodox
    adjective
    of or relating to the Orthodox Church of the East
Synonyms

orthodox

American  
[awr-thuh-doks] / ˈɔr θəˌdɒks /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or conforming to the approved form of any doctrine, philosophy, ideology, etc.

  2. of, relating to, or conforming to beliefs, attitudes, or modes of conduct that are generally approved.

  3. customary or conventional, as a means or method; established.

    Synonyms:
    fixed, routine, commonplace, traditional
  4. sound or correct in opinion or doctrine, especially theological or religious doctrine.

  5. conforming to the Christian faith as represented in the creeds of the early church.

  6. Orthodox,

    1. of, relating to, or designating the Eastern Church, especially the Greek Orthodox Church.

    2. of, relating to, or characteristic of Orthodox Jews or Orthodox Judaism.


Orthodox 1 British  
/ ˈɔːθəˌdɒks /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the Orthodox Church of the East

  2. (sometimes not capital)

    1. of or relating to Orthodox Judaism

    2. (of an individual Jew) strict in the observance of Talmudic law and in personal devotions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

orthodox 2 British  
/ ˈɔːθəˌdɒks /

adjective

  1. conforming with established or accepted standards, as in religion, behaviour, or attitudes

  2. conforming to the Christian faith as established by the early Church

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of orthodox

First recorded in 1575–85; from Late Latin orthodoxus “right in religion,” from Late Greek orthódoxos, equivalent to ortho- ortho- + dóx(a) “belief, opinion” + -os adjective suffix

Explanation

Orthodox practices or beliefs are generally accepted as true or correct. If you are an orthodox vegetarian, you never, ever eat meat — not like those people who have fish once in a while. When capitalized, Orthodox is the name of the Eastern Church, originally distinguished by its doctrinal differences from the other divisions of the Christian Church. Orthodox is also the name of the branch of Judaism that strictly follows traditional beliefs and customs, derived from orthodox in the earlier meaning of "strictly observant."

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Vocabulary lists containing orthodox

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.

See Examples For:

“Instead, he hammered home a strict, orthodox message on inflation with a strong commitment to price stability.”

From Barron's Jun. 18, 2026

Cepeda has pledged to introduce a new economic and social model, one that his orthodox Communist father might have envisioned.

From The Wall Street Journal May 25, 2026

Dioceses across the country are reporting the highest amount of converts in decades, many of them drawn in by orthodox Catholic influencers.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 10, 2026

It leaves Amad as the only orthodox wide player available to Carrick, although he has also used Patrick Dorgu, who joined from Lecce as a wing-back under Amorim, in a more offensive role.

From BBC Mar. 4, 2026

I was angry with myself for not having taken the time to leam more of the orthodox prayer rituals before leaving America.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

The older way of consuming media can still be found on the Friday evenings when millions of Orthodox Jews enter a world where printed pages still matter.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 16, 2026

He says he has experienced many sides of Russia: working in an Orthodox monastery, staying in a high-rise apartment and later moving into a small Soviet-era flat.

From BBC Jun. 26, 2026

It was an unusual mission for Avraamiy, whose days are usually filled with intoning prayers, counseling his flock and leading the clergymen from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine at the monastery.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 18, 2026

The guest, reported by Jewish News to be "visibly Orthodox Jewish" 24-year-old Sruly Fogel from New York, said he had been visiting the UK for a wedding and the incident left him "really uncomfortable".

From BBC Jun. 16, 2026

He pulls paper and pencil out of his pocket, using the low stone wall of the Orthodox church to write.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

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