doctrine

noun

doc·trine | \ ˈdäk-trən

Definition of doctrine

1 archaic : teaching, instruction

2a : something that is taught

b : a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of belief : dogma Catholic doctrine

c law : a principle of law established through past decisions

d : a statement of fundamental government policy especially in international relations the Truman Doctrine

e : a military principle or set of strategies

Other Words from doctrine Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about doctrine

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Did You Know?

The original doctrines were those of the Catholic Church, especially as taught by the so-called doctors (religious scholars) of the Church. But today a doctrine can come from many other sources. Old and established legal principles are called legal doctrine. Traditional psychiatrists still follow the doctrines of Sigmund Freud. Communist doctrine in the 1920s and ʼ30s was often the teachings of Lenin, which were then regarded in the Soviet Union as almost sacred. U.S. presidents have given their names to doctrines as well: In 1823 the Monroe Doctrine stated that the United States would oppose European influence in the Americas, and in 1947 the Truman Doctrine held that America would support free countries against enemies outside and inside.

Examples of doctrine in a Sentence

The government was founded on a doctrine of equality for all people. Many psychologists now question the doctrines of Sigmund Freud. teaching religious doctrine to young people

Recent Examples on the Web

In other words, the doctrine of assured destruction still holds. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Trump Administration Begins Production of New Nuclear Weapon," 1 Feb. 2019 This legal doctrine posits that, if the government already knows the testimony that will be obtained, then the Fifth Amendment cannot be a shield. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "Court: Teen’s driving killed someone, but he can’t be forced to give up passcode," 28 Oct. 2018 The Supreme Court on Monday wrestled with whether to allow a 40-year-old legal doctrine to derail a class-action lawsuit arguing that Apple uses its monopoly control over the iPhone app market to overcharge customers for apps. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "How Apple hopes to stop a customer lawsuit over its App Store monopoly," 27 Nov. 2018 Opposing the merger forced the federal antitrust regulators to argue against standing legal doctrine that favors mergers among companies that don't compete directly with each other. — Marcy Gordon, chicagotribune.com, "Justice Department appealing judge's OK of AT&T-Time Warner merger," 12 July 2018 This legal doctrine instructs that various branches of government, including public universities, can generally not be sued without providing consent. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Michigan State Settles With the Victims of Larry Nassar's Abuse. How Might the NCAA Respond?," 18 May 2018 The looming dispute about military doctrine, military spending and procurement is just one of many now rocking Ms. Merkel’s coalition—a government many analysts think could unravel as early as this year. — Bojan Pancevski, WSJ, "In Germany, a Cold War Deal to Host U.S. Nuclear Weapons Is Now in Question," 12 Feb. 2019 The lawsuit alleges the new statutes violate the Wisconsin Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine, which divides government into executive, legislative and judiciary branches. — Todd Richmond, The Seattle Times, "Unions, senator file 3rd lame-duck lawsuit in Wisconsin," 4 Feb. 2019 This is a view that calls for tougher, more skeptical enforcement of antitrust law but that also leaves the conceptual apparatus of post-Reagan antitrust doctrine in place. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Why criticism of Amazon isn’t sticking," 11 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'doctrine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.