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
  • He is best known for introducing the idea of dynamical similarity to cosmological systems — a mathematical realization of philosophical principles in physics.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Shankara advises that worshipping gods with names and stories through devotional rituals and sacred images (murtis) is an acceptable step for some people on the path toward a more philosophical understanding of an all-pervasive ultimate reality.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of philosophical
Adjective
  • As young and upcoming English coaches go, Lampard, 48, is far from dogmatic.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But Fried’s thought is far too varied and weird—closer to Manny Farber’s than Clement Greenberg’s—to permit dogmatic religiosity for long.
    — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of dogmatic
Adjective
  • The Basij run a nationwide network of volunteers who maintain a presence in the streets, government offices and cultural centers, seeking to ensure loyalty and ideological purity for Iran’s theocracy.
    — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, widely considered the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party, is scheduled to address about 5,000 members of Indian American groups at the city's iconic Madison Square Garden arena.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of ideological
Adjective
  • The consortium will also establish a development roadmap covering the steps required to move from the present conceptual phase toward possible construction and deployment.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • For many of its leading figures, from the Impressionists in the 1870s to conceptual artists a century later, this also meant proposing new and better solutions to the problem of how to be and how to live together.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of conceptual
Adjective
  • David Sloan is a theoretical physicist at Lancaster University and the Chief Scientific Officer of the Foundational Questions Institute.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Far from being a theoretical threat, at least one active attack is already exploiting the mixup.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of theoretical
Adjective
  • 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
  • That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.
    — Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 23 Apr. 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 3 Sep. 2026.

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