noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK:/ˈdɒɡ.mə/
US:/ˈdɔɡ.mə/
US:/ˈdɑɡ.mə/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D AA1 G M AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion, especially one considered to be absolutely true and indisputable, regardless of evidence or without evidence to support it.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A doctrine (or set of doctrines) relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth authoritatively by a religious organization or leader.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
In the Catholic Church, new dogmas can only be declared by the pope after the extremely rare procedure ex cathedra to make them part of the official faith.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he believed all the Marxist dogma
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: doctrine, philosophy, philosophical system, school of thought, ism
4
noun
Meaning 4
a religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tenet
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: religious doctrine, church doctrine, gospel, creed
Narrower terms: article of faith, credendum
History
Etymology
From Latin dogma (“philosophical tenet”), from Ancient Greek δόγμα (dógma, “opinion, tenet”), from δοκέω (dokéō, “to seem good, think”). Treated in the 17th and 18th century as Greek, with plural dogmata. Compare decent.
Across languages
Translations
116 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
عَقِيدَة
(ʕaqīda)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Armenian:
դոգմա
(dogma)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Belarusian:
до́гма
(dóhma)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Bulgarian:
до́гма
(dógma)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Catalan:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Chinese Mandarin:
教條 /教条
(jiàotiáo)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Chinese Mandarin:
定論 /定论
(dìnglùn)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Czech:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Danish:
dogme
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Dutch:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Dutch:
geloofspunt
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Dutch:
leerstelling
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Dutch:
leerstuk
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Estonian:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Finnish:
dogmi
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
French:
dogme
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Galician:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Georgian:
დოგმა
(dogma)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
German:
Dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Greek:
δόγμα
(dógma)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Ancient Greek:
δόγμα
(dógma)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Hebrew:
דּוֹגְמָה
(dógma)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Hindi:
हठधर्म
(haṭhdharm)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Hungarian:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Italian:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Japanese:
定説
(teisetsu)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Japanese:
教条
(kyōjō)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Korean:
교조
(gyojo)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Latvian:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Lithuanian:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Macedonian:
догма
(dogma)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Norman:
dogme
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Norwegian Bokmål:
dogme
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Norwegian Bokmål:
læresetning
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Norwegian Nynorsk:
dogme
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Norwegian Nynorsk:
læresetning
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Polish:
dogmat
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Portuguese:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Romanian:
dogmă
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Russian:
до́гма
(dógma)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Russian:
до́гмат
(dógmat)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Scottish Gaelic:
dearbh-bhriathar
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Serbo-Croatian:
до̏гма
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Serbo-Croatian:
dȍgma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Slovak:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Slovene:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Spanish:
dogma
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Swedish:
dogm
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Ukrainian:
до́гма
(dóhma)
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
Vietnamese:
giáo điều
— authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion
