doctrinal

adjective

Definition of doctrinalnext
as in philosophical

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of doctrinal Formal doctrinal talks between Rome and the SSPX later stalled over disagreements on the authority of the Second Vatican Council and modern Church teachings. — Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2026 Formed in 1994, the fellowship has increasingly served as a forum for traditionalist provinces to coordinate responses to doctrinal disputes. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 This air-to-sea command transfer represents a doctrinal advance. — Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026 From public safety to regime protection The transformation was not only structural but doctrinal. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for doctrinal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doctrinal
  1. philosophical
  2. dogmatic
  3. ideological
  4. conceptual
  5. theoretical
  6. pontifical
Adjective
  • The team works with local hospitals to negotiate special rates for their patients who are Amish or members of the broader Plain community, a group whose philosophical beliefs keep them from enrolling in formal health insurance plans.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
  • After Ted arrives and Roy departs, Ted and Rebecca have their own, more philosophical heart-to-heart about how being messy is part of being alive.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of philosophical
Adjective
  • In 1976, after signing a petition in support of Wilfried Linke, a fellow student expelled from the college for criticizing the dogmatic ideological orientation of Marxist-Leninist instruction, she herself was expelled.
    — Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • As young and upcoming English coaches go, Lampard, 48, is far from dogmatic.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of dogmatic
Adjective
  • The demonstrations have also raised questions about whether Islamist groups and pro-Palestinian activists are seeking to use the unrest to advance broader ideological causes.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Vaccarello was not about unquestioning reverence, but relevance; a sort of ideological deconstruction that might have roots in his Belgian training.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of ideological
Adjective
  • Then there’s the new electric Jaguar, a machine that inflamed the Internet and became the subject of global controversy when its conceptual precursor was revealed in late 2024.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
  • In the process, American comedy went from being a writer’s medium, conceptual and self-aware, to a more tonal form that rewarded actors’ screen presence and sense of timing.
    — Dan Brooks, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of conceptual
Adjective
  • The measurements showed relatively strong emission from the single crystal, consistent with theoretical predictions.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Planning for a theoretical catastrophe can lead clients in unexpected directions.
    — Megan Buerger, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of theoretical
Adjective
  • In another decree published Monday, Leo canceled Francis’ plans to move some of the Vatican’s secret archives and library holdings out of the city state and onto the grounds of a pontifical university across town.
    — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Leo opened his visit to Pompeii by meeting with sick and disabled people who are cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary, which Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, declared a pontifical basilica in 1901.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 May 2026
Definition of pontifical

Browse Nearby Words

doctrinaires
doctrinal
doctrine
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Cite this Entry

“Doctrinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doctrinal. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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