1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

orthodox

adjective

ˈȯr-thə-ˌdäks How to pronounce orthodox (audio)
Definition of orthodoxnext
1
as in formal
following or agreeing with established form, custom, or rules schoolteachers tended to favor poets who followed a very orthodox style of poetry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in traditional
tending to favor established ideas, conditions, or institutions orthodox in their view of the world, the Founding Fathers subscribed to the 18th-century notion that only men with property should be allowed to vote

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 orthodox Tens of thousands of ultra-orthodox Jews, sometimes called Haredi, have refused conscription into the Israeli militia on religious grounds. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2026 The 28-year-old struggled in Amorim’s 4-3-2-1 system, but Carrick has largely used a more orthodox 4-2-3-1 shape since taking over, making room for Rashford on the left side of the forward line. — Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 Currently, the Kotel has a men’s section and women’s section, which is overseen by the haredi Orthodox Chief Rabbinate, and a nearby egalitarian section, which has been overseen by the non-Orthodox branches since 2016. — Rabbi Robyn Fryer Bodzin, Sun Sentinel, 9 June 2026 Valencia’s campaign is backed by most of the nation’s traditional parties and by economists who are concerned about the growing levels of debt under the Petro administration and want Colombia to return to more orthodox policies, the Associated Press reported. — Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for orthodox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orthodox
  1. formal
  2. traditional
  3. ceremonial
  4. conservative
  5. conventional
  6. ceremonious
  7. official
  8. regular
Adjective
  • His two sons attended New York public schools, but Spade says their formal observance of the attacks seldom extended beyond a moment of silence.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Sparks alone has converted 38 of his 94 stores, and the network stands at 155 across 27 states — a base large enough to justify a formal national rollout but small enough that new owners can still test economics store by store.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of formal
Adjective
  • The information may be unstructured, context may matter or traditional rules may not justify the engineering cost.
    — Nitin Gupta, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The beginning of the end, as far as the traditional late night format at the Emmys is concerned.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of traditional
Adjective
  • Goggles, who practices Arapaho ceremonial ways but dabbles in Christianity, liked the worship band and activities that kept her grandchildren busy.
    — Savannah Peters, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The haka, a ceremonial Maori dance performed by the New Zealand rugby union team — and other sides representing that country across different sports — is, in many ways, the iconic image of rugby itself.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of ceremonial
Adjective
  • In a comment underneath a Facebook post from 2025, Headen called for foreign attacks on states with a large conservative population.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Vance had planned to be in New York for the anniversary last year but instead flew to Salt Lake City to be with the family of Charlie Kirk after the conservative activist was fatally shot.
    — Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of conservative
Adjective
  • That approach could transform the concept from a conventional tank into an autonomous, high-power battlefield platform.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Warranty obligations, supply chain disruption, contractual risks, reputational costs and other company-specific exposures may come with limited capacity, restrictive terms or pricing that makes conventional transfer unattractive.
    — Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of conventional
Adjective
  • It is celebrated with a ceremonious parade that features a cavalcade of men dressed in Roman soldier costumes, evoking a sense of solemn thanksgiving and spiritual devotion.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
  • The ones named Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion by the judges make a ceremonious visit at the end of the day to the Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in downtown Denver.
    — Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of ceremonious
Adjective
  • All are now either gone or, in Richarlison’s case, unavailable in the Premier League, having been left out of De Zerbi’s official squad.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Excludes a separate $50,000 accountable official-expense allowance.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of official
Adjective
  • Whatever his rushing role, the words in Hurts’ notes will become action in the Eagles’ regular-season opener against the Washington Commanders.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The sterile fly program complements efforts to monitor wildlife, inspect animals and work with ranchers in areas where the fly has been spotted to encourage regular checks for infestations.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of regular

Browse Nearby Words

orphic
orthodox
orthodoxies
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Orthodox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orthodox. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on orthodox

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about orthodox

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of facsimile

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All