dogma

noun

dog·​ma ˈdȯg-mə 

ˈdäg-

plural dogmas also dogmata ˈdȯg-mə-tə 

ˈdäg-

1

a

: something held as an established opinion

especially : a definite authoritative tenet

b

: a code of such tenets

pedagogical dogma

c

: a point of view or tenet put forth as authoritative without adequate grounds

2

: a doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church

Did you know?

Religious dogma and scientific dogma are sometimes at odds, as in arguments between those who believe in the biblical story of creation and those who believe in evolution. Since all dogma resists change, arguments of any kind are harder to resolve when both sides are dogmatic in their beliefs. Dogma and dogmatic are generally used disapprovingly; it's always other people who believe unquestioningly in dogma and who take a dogmatic approach to important issues.

Synonyms

• canon
• doctrine

Examples of dogma in a Sentence

The Saudi regime has tried to deflect questions about its management of the country … by supporting and spreading an uncompromising religious dogma. —Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2001

He was known for his ability to burst the bubble of generally accepted dogma, to puncture it with data and detached observations. —Sherwin B. Nuland, New Republic, 19 Feb. 2001

It had long been biological dogma that whales were scarce in the open ocean, but the Navy was picking up whale songs thousands of miles from land. —Sharon Begley et al., Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2000

For in creating a cultural orthodoxy designed to combat racism, urban disorder, and a legacy of oppression, we subject ourselves to delusional dogma, the tyranny of conformity … —Gerald Early, Harper's, January 1997

These new findings challenge the current dogma in the field.

the Catholic dogma of the bodily assumption of the Virgin Mary

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Recent Examples on the Web

The back and forth between Wright and Rae is so calibrated yet so conversational, even when the verbal thrusts and parries heat up, breaking every bit of pro- and con- dogma into dust particles. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 2023

Only on the far right is such insane dogma is at the core of their beliefs. —Will Oremus, Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2023

In God & Country, religious leaders and scholars, journalists and historians sound off about the threat of a movement that infuses Christian dogma with far-right politics. —James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2023

The dogma that tuberculosis is lying dormant in the bodies of 2 billion people might be wrong. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 15 Dec. 2023

For instance, during the 2016 campaign, Trump began trying to brand himself as a different type of Republican who would protect widely popular entitlement programs, veering away from the conservative dogma of demanding spending cuts. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2023

Abeka’s roots go back to the 1925 Scopes Trial, which pitted evolutionary science and expert academic knowledge against local control and religious dogma. —TIME, 11 Oct. 2023

Morante’s depiction of Italy’s class system is equally informed by her leftist sympathies and her resistance to dogma. —Jess Bergman, The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2023

Still, one way to oppose rule by moral and spiritual orthodoxy is to be guided by an alternative metaphysical dogma. —Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Latin dogmat-, dogma, from Greek, from dokein to seem — more at decent

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

dogma

noun

dog·​ma ˈdȯg-mə 

ˈdäg-

plural dogmas also dogmata -mət-ə 

1

: something considered as an established opinion

2

: a belief or body of beliefs concerning faith or morals laid down by a church