doctrine
Pluraldoctrines
- 1The collected teachings of a religion, ideology, organization, leader, or text, taken as a whole.
Like the foundation of a building: the underlying set of teachings everything else rests on.
Catholic doctrine on the sacraments developed over many centuries.
Marxist doctrine guided the movement's economic policies for decades.
Similarteaching, dogma, ideology, creed
Note
Without an article, the word takes in a tradition's teaching as a whole: Catholic doctrine, orthodox Marxist doctrine. Here it is usually uncountable, and an adjective naming the school or faith typically comes before it. The usage is old and at home in religious dispute. John Knox, writing in 1560, defends 'what doctrine it is' against his accusers. To pick out one belief within the system, use the single-tenet meaning.
- 2A belief or principle, especially one concerning philosophical or theological matters.
Like a single plank in a larger platform of beliefs.
The doctrine of free will has been debated by philosophers for centuries.
Several doctrines about the soul distinguish one tradition from another.
Similarbelief, principle, tenet, creed, dogma
Note
Behind every doctrine stands a teacher. The word came through Old French from Latin doctrina, 'teaching, learning', built on docere, 'to teach', the same root that gives doctor. In this sense the noun is countable: a faith has several doctrines (a basic doctrine of Christianity, the main doctrines of Buddhism), each one a single tenet rather than the whole body of teaching.
- 3A policy a country adopts to govern part of its foreign relations, especially what behavior it will or will not accept from other nations.
The president announced a doctrine committing the country to defend its allies.
Several competing doctrines shaped the nation's response to the crisis.
Similarpolicy
Note
Foreign-policy doctrines usually go by a name: the Monroe Doctrine, the Brezhnev Doctrine, the Negroponte Doctrine. When the word forms part of such a title, it is capitalized and follows the name of the figure associated with the policy. Used generically, as in a new doctrine of deterrence, it stays lowercase. The word presents the policy as a standing principle a state has chosen for itself.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of doctrine apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
It came through Middle English and Old French from the Latin doctrina ('teaching, instruction, learning, knowledge'), which derives from doctor ('a teacher') and ultimately from docere ('to teach').