orthodoxy

American  

[awr-thuh-dok-see] / ˈɔr θəˌdɒk si /

noun

• orthodoxies
  plural

1. orthodox belief or practice.

2. orthodox character.

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orthodoxy British  

/ ˈɔːθəˌdɒksɪ /

noun

1. orthodox belief or practice

2. the quality of being orthodox

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antiorthodoxy
  noun
• hyperorthodoxy
  noun
• unorthodoxy
  noun
• pro-orthodoxy
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• orthodoxies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of orthodoxy

1620–30; < Late Latin orthodoxia < Greek orthodoxía right opinion, equivalent to orthódox ( os ) ( see orthodox) + -ia -y ³

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Compare meaning

How does orthodoxy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• orthodoxy vs. orthopraxy

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Explanation

A widely accepted belief or theory is an orthodoxy. You could call the scientific theory of gravity an orthodoxy, since it's generally considered to be an established fact. The word orthodoxy comes from the Greek root words orthos, which means right, true or straight, and doxa, opinion. So orthodoxy describes the one true opinion. The noun orthodoxy, pronounced "OR-thuh-dock-see," is most commonly used to talk about religious beliefs. When you conform to the orthodoxy of a particular religion, you follow its accepted doctrines, like a Christian's belief in an all-powerful God.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

orthodoxy orthodoxies

One reason that Snead could be so fearless was that he had come to the realization that, contrary to NFL orthodoxy, the draft wasn’t the be-all, end-all of teambuilding.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Measured in volatility, the S&P 500 over that period has been less “risky,” just as Wall Street orthodoxy would suggest.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

“The First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country,” Justice Gorsuch wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

But there is no shortage of evangelists who will point to Musk's staggering ability to raise money, challenge orthodoxy and prove his doubters wrong.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

From 1538 the new understanding of earth and water as making up a single sphere became an orthodoxy among both Protestant and Catholic astronomers.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

She should read labels, mistrust mysterious additives, interrogate old nutritional orthodoxies and learn to distinguish “real” food from whatever came before it.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Though Leibowitz toppled bond-market orthodoxies early in his career, he valued the wisdom of his predecessors and advised young people to ask old-timers for the rationales behind their time-tested methods.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

One by one, the authors attempt to demolish the orthodoxies of space enthusiasts.

From Slate ● Dec. 9, 2025

What Field admired was Powell's willingness to challenge his own party's leadership and orthodoxies - even if it effectively removed him from office.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2024

Conventional orthodoxies, whether they be of manners, or of ways of life, or of thought, or of religion, or of education, are unimportant.

From The Silent Isle by Arthur Christopher Benson

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Related Words

• belief
• doctrine
• tradition

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