dogma

noun

dog·ma | \ ˈdȯg-mə ,

ˈdäg- \

plural dogmas also dogmata\-mə-tə

Definition of dogma

1a : 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

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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

Recent Examples on the Web

For right-wing legal scholars, this makes Roe a point of dogma. — Jill Filipovic, Time, "It's Naive to Think a Conservative Supreme Court Wouldn't Target Roe v. Wade," 12 July 2018 The Bush and Trump administrations alike have exposed the bankruptcy of conservative-movement dogma as a practical governing blueprint. — Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Chuck Schumer Is Secretly Sabotaging the Next Democratic President," 28 June 2018 Despite decades of ultraconservative dogma, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pushed through a number of major social reforms with support from his father, King Salman, to satiate the desires of the country's majority young population. — Aya Batrawy, Fox News, "First Saudi cinema opens with popcorn and 'Black Panther'," 19 Apr. 2018 Enlightenment overconfidence has gone badly wrong often enough to warrant serious doubts about claims made in the name of reason—just as doubt is valuable in approaching other systems of dogma. — Yoram Hazony, WSJ, "The Dark Side of the Enlightenment," 6 Apr. 2018 Trump briefly strayed from gun-rights dogma after the Parkland shooting, but quickly backpedaled. — Jonathan Lemire, chicagotribune.com, "Trump meets with families affected by Texas school shooting," 31 May 2018 The volunteers seem less focused on ideology than the Tea Party, which hammered out a clear dogma of smaller government, galvanizing voters and leading to a makeover of the party and, eventually, the federal government. — New York Times, "These Women Mostly Ignored Politics. Now, Activism Is Their Job.," 10 May 2018 His amiable act doesn’t question religious dogma with any persistence or engage with doubters. — Jason Zinoman, New York Times, "What’s So Funny About Orthodox Judaism? This Comic Has One Answer," 13 June 2018 This is a truth that often threatens to harden into dogma. — Michelle Dean, The New Republic, "Tensions between two generations of feminists animate Meg Wolitzer’s novel.," 12 Apr. 2018

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