Dogma
/ˈdɒɡmə/
Definitions
A belief or set of beliefs that is accepted without question or doubt, especially in religion or politics.
/ˈdɒɡmə/
A principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.
The church's dogma is based on the teachings of the Bible.
💡 Simply: Dogma is like a rule or belief that's super important to a group, like a religion or a political party. People in these groups usually believe the dogma without questioning it. For example, the dogma of gravity is that all objects are attracted to each other.
👶 For kids: Dogma is a rule or a big idea that people in a group believe in, like a secret code!
More Examples
He questioned the rigid dogma that governed their society.
The party's dogma excludes any other point of view.
The company was founded on the dogma of customer satisfaction.
How It's Used
"The church's dogma states that salvation is achieved through faith and good works."
"The philosopher challenged the prevailing dogma of the time, advocating for rationalism."
"He refused to blindly accept political dogma, instead analyzing policies critically."
From Greek *dókma* 'opinion, tenet', from *dokein* 'to seem good, think'. It entered English in the late 16th century, initially referring to philosophical principles, later becoming associated with religious doctrine.
The word initially appeared in philosophical contexts before becoming more closely linked to religious contexts by the 18th century, and remains used today in both domains.
Memory tip
Think of DOG-MA as a 'dogmatic' rule that's followed by many without asking 'why?'
Word Origin
"opinion, that which seems good"