doctrine

1
as in theology
a statement or body of statements concerning faith or morals proclaimed by a church the Catholic Church's doctrine on the Eucharist

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2
as in philosophy
the basic beliefs or guiding principles of a person or group the doctrine of quantum physicists

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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 doctrine The general idea is that in that era the touchstone of truth was conformity to religious doctrines. Christian Schneider, National Review, 12 June 2025 The doctrine of nullification died with the Confederacy. Molly Gibbs, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2025 Once these drones become widely available, governments around the world may need to rethink their military doctrines, as well as their protocols for guarding high officials. Simon Shuster, Time, 3 June 2025 Because Moore was working for the network, Eady is also suing them by respondeat superior, a legal doctrine that holds employers responsible for the wrongful conduct of their employees. Liza Esquibias, People.com, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for doctrine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doctrine
Noun
  • In a broader political sense, CREC theology includes the belief that the establishment clause of the Constitution does not require a separation of church and state.
    Samuel Perry, The Conversation, 20 June 2025
  • Tuesday night should have been another chapter in his legendary theology.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • Buckley would never finish his magnum opus of political philosophy, to be titled The Revolt Against the Masses, a reference to the Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset’s classic Revolt of the Masses.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
  • Is that still the team’s philosophy after making the playoffs last fall?
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • And while these employees can in principle save money on their own, many are forced to prioritize putting food on the table and paying the bills in the present over building a nest egg for the future, the study found.
    Alain Sherter, CBS News, 27 June 2025
  • Your values, your long-term goals and your decision principles.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Canceling grants based on conflict with the current administration’s ideology is a disturbing case of government censorship.
    Madison Plunkert, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2025
  • Hamas’s barbaric attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, was the opening deadly salvo to put action into Iran’s ideology.
    Dr. Robert G. Rabil, Sun Sentinel, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • The Catholic Church’s social doctrine, in which Leo XIV is very well versed, establishes that the concrete economic policy solutions is not a matter of dogma but of prudential decisions.
    Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and his allies made reforms and gradually steered China away from a command economy and Maoist dogma and opened it up to foreign investments and technology.
    Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • In 2013, Bill de Blasio won the mayoral election with a potent mix of Black votes plus liberals of various creeds and colors.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
  • But tenacity is the creed of everyone in their small village, and the people who live there may be exactly what the doctor ordered.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Doctrine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doctrine. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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