Definition of ORTHODOX

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An orthodox religious belief or interpretation is one handed down by a church's founders or leaders. When capitalized, as in Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox refers to a branch within a larger religious organization that claims to honor the religion's original or traditional beliefs. The steadfast holding of established beliefs that is seen in religious orthodoxy is apparent also in other kinds of orthodox behavior. Orthodox medical treatment, for example, follows the established practices of mainstream medicine. Unorthodox thinking is known in business language as "thinking outside the box".

Examples of orthodox in a Sentence

Adjective

He took an orthodox approach to the problem. She believes in the benefits of both orthodox medicine and alternative medicine. He is a very orthodox Muslim. I attend an Eastern Orthodox church. My grandmother is Russian Orthodox.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

After all, according to orthodox wisdom, there is no more commendable virtue in American political custom and practice than bipartisanship. — Andrew Cockburn, Harper's magazine, "No Joe!," 10 June 2019 Yet unlike the President, Hassett also holds more orthodox, free-market views on trade—a position that put him at odds with the Trump administration’s protectionist, tariff-heavy trade stance toward China and, more recently, Mexico. — Rey Mashayekhi, Fortune, "Here Are All the 'Best People' That Have Quit Trump's Economic Team," 7 June 2019 In Indonesia, for example, social media is encouraging irreligious millennials to become born-again, ultra-orthodox Muslims as part of a movement known as hijrah. — Shoaib Daniyal, Quartz India, "Haleem or Daleem? WhatsApp university fuels debate over Ramzan delicacy," 4 June 2019 By the 1560s several universities, including the University of Salamanca in Spain, a deeply orthodox Catholic institution, had De revolutionibus on the curriculum. — National Geographic, "Copernicus's revolutionary ideas reorganized the heavens," 9 Apr. 2019 Cardinal Pell, who has denied any wrongdoing, was for decades a force within the church in Australia, known for his orthodox positions on social issues. — Robb M. Stewart, WSJ, "Australian Cardinal George Pell’s Sex-Abuse Case to Go to Trial," 1 May 2018 The threat then is less likely to be from long-distance waves, but from a more orthodox type of nuclear blast. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, "The Truth Behind Russia’s 'Apocalypse Torpedo'," 18 Jan. 2019 In America the most stalwart supporters of Israel and the Jewish people are evangelical Christians and orthodox Catholics. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Oldest Hatred," 28 Oct. 2018 From the ground up, this particular folly starts out as a rather orthodox summer house, only to grow upwards into a massive, 37 feet-high sandstone pineapple. — Max Maeckler, Vogue, "You Can Rent a Pineapple Palace on the Airbnb For Historic Homes," 16 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The decision was seen by many as supportive of central-bank autonomy while bringing an orthodox although sometimes critical voice to the bank’s policy-setting board. — Juan Montes, WSJ, "Bank of Mexico Chief Stresses Shared Responsibility in Economic Stability," 8 Oct. 2018 Also in the region Mr. Heath, who specializes in econometrics and monetary policy, is widely seen as an orthodox economist. — Juan Montes, WSJ, "López Obrador to Name Independent Economist to Mexico Central Bank," 26 Sep. 2018 Just imagine: an encased farce of brined and smoked brisket dragged through the garden of the orthodox Chicago condiments. — Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, "At 3 Squares Diner there’s a dog that won’t bark," 12 July 2018 The once ultra-orthodox are loosening their ideologies, facilitated by Facebook groups, podcasts, websites, and meet-ups. — Sarah Scoles, Longreads, "Meet the New Mormons," 8 June 2018 The fascinating modern historic events there now were instigated by an unorthodox president who may be about to accomplish what orthodox leaders never could. — Andrew Malcolm, San Francisco Chronicle, "Trump’s Korea initiative is risky and unprecedented," 2 May 2018 The closest synagogue at the time was a conservative synagogue on Third Avenue and McDowell Road, a long walk for orthodox worshipers who did not drive on the Sabbath. — Jessica Boehm, azcentral, "Founding family of Phoenix synagogue saved 1,500 people during the Holocaust," 12 Apr. 2018 Santos is likely to continue Uribe's crackdown on crime and on the FARC insurgency as well as his orthodox financial policies. — Newsweek, "Amazing Photos of Bioluminescent Phytoplankton," 14 Mar. 2018 Generally speaking, the Jewish community can be divided up into three types of affiliation-orthodox, conservative and reform. — Patricia Dillon, Houston Chronicle, "Villager Q & A: Rabbi Mendel Blecher of Chabad of The Woodlands," 23 Feb. 2018

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