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theonomy

American  
[thee-on-uh-mee] / θiˈɒn ə mi /

noun

  1. the state of an individual or society that regards its own nature and norms as being in accord with the divine nature.

theonomy British  
/ θɪˈɒnəmɪ /

noun

  1. the state of being governed by God

"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

  • theonomous adjective

Etymology

Origin of theonomy

1885–90; < German Theonomie; see theo-, -nomy

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.

They tend to be more circumspect, often obfuscating their true intentions and avoiding the word "theocracy" in favor of "theonomy," for example.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2021

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.