dogma

See also: Dogma, dogmă, and doğma

English

WOTD – 13 February 2009

Etymology

From Latin dogma (“philosophical tenet”), from Ancient Greek δόγμα (dógma, “opinion, tenet”), from δοκέω (dokéō, “I seem good, think”). Treated in the 17th and 18th century as Greek, with plural dogmata. Compare decent.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɒɡ.mə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈdɔɡ.mə/, /ˈdɑɡ.mə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: dog‧ma

Noun

dogma (countable and uncountable, plural dogmas or dogmata)

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.
   • 2015, Tad Brennan, Ethics and Epistemology in Sextus Empiricus:

     If he has a dogma, i.e. a scientifico-philosophical theory, then he is not any sort of Skeptic, not even an urbane Skeptic.

2. A doctrine (or set of doctrines) relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth authoritatively by a religious organization or leader.

   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.

   • 1658, Thomas Browne, “The Garden of Cyrus. […]. Chapter V.”, in Hydriotaphia, Urne-buriall, […] Together with The Garden of Cyrus, […], London: […] Hen[ry] Brome […], →OCLC, page 192:

     According to that Cabaliſticall Dogma: If Abram had not had this Letter [i.e., ה (he)] added unto his Name he had remained fruitleſſe, and without the power of generation: […] So that being ſterill before, he received the power of generation from that meaſure and manſion in the Archetype; and was made conformable unto Binah.

   • [a. 1881, William B[allantyne] Hodgson, “Noun”, in Errors in the Use of English, Edinburgh: David Douglas, published 1881, part II (Accidence), page 70:

     Other foreign terms have become so thoroughly Anglicised as to adopt English plurals, and it is sometimes difficult to decide whether the English or the original foreign form is the more correct. None but a pedant would speak of ‘the chori of an opera,’ ‘the croci in a garden,’ or ‘the dogmata of the church;’ […]]

   • 1909, Nicholas Murray Butler, Frank Pierrepont Graves, Charles Alexander Nelson, Educational Review - Volume 37, page 383:

     The man who thinks that his religion is the sum-total of the religious dogmas he believes in, who thinks that to live in harmony with the allhood of things it requires only that one subscribe to certain prescribed religious dogmas, in whose mind the means of salvation is simply frequency and fervency of prayer, assiduity and fidelity of attendance on worship, — in the case of that man his so-called religion is just as apt as not to become an actual aid to immorality, for it is not religion at all, but purblind, self-righteous Pharisaism.

Derived terms

• antidogma
• central dogma
• dogmatic
• dogmatical
• dogmatics
• dogmatic theology
• dogmatism
• dogmatist
• dogmatize

Translations

authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion

• Arabic: عَقِيدَة (ar) f (ʕaqīda)
• Armenian: դոգմա (hy) (dogma)
• Belarusian: до́гма f (dóhma)
• Bulgarian: до́гма (bg) f (dógma)
• Catalan: dogma (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 教條 / 教条 (zh) (jiàotiáo), 定論 / 定论 (zh) (dìnglùn)

• Czech: dogma f
• Danish: dogme n
• Dutch: dogma (nl) n, geloofspunt (nl) n, leerstelling (nl) f, leerstuk n
• Estonian: dogma (et)
• Finnish: dogmi (fi)
• French: dogme (fr) m
• Galician: dogma m
• Georgian: დოგმა (dogma)
• German: Dogma (de) n
• Greek: δόγμα (el) n (dógma)

  Ancient: δόγμα n (dógma)

• Hebrew: דּוֹגְמָה (he) f (dógma)
• Hindi: हठधर्म (hi) (haṭhdharm)
• Hungarian: dogma (hu)
• Italian: dogma (it) m
• Japanese: 定説 (ja) (ていせつ, teisetsu), 教条 (ja) (きょうじょう, kyōjō)
• Korean: 교조(敎條) (ko) (gyojo)
• Latvian: dogma f
• Lithuanian: dogma f
• Macedonian: догма f (dogma)
• Norman: dogme m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: dogme n, læresetning m or f

  Nynorsk: dogme n, læresetning f

• Polish: dogmat (pl) m
• Portuguese: dogma (pt) m
• Romanian: dogmă (ro) f
• Russian: до́гма (ru) f (dógma), до́гмат (ru) m (dógmat)
• Scottish Gaelic: dearbh-bhriathar m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: до̏гма f

  Roman: dȍgma (sh) f

• Slovak: dogma f
• Slovene: dogma f
• Spanish: dogma (es) m
• Swedish: dogm (sv) c
• Ukrainian: до́гма f (dóhma)
• Vietnamese: giáo điều (vi)

doctrine

• Armenian: դավանանք (hy) (davanankʻ), դոգմա (hy) (dogma)
• Belarusian: дактры́на f (daktrýna), до́гма f (dóhma)
• Bulgarian: доктри́на (bg) f (doktrína), до́гма (bg) f (dógma)
• Burmese: ဝါဒ (my) (wada.)
• Catalan: dogma (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 教條 / 教条 (zh) (jiàotiáo), 信條 / 信条 (zh) (xìntiáo), 教理 (zh) (jiàolǐ)

• Czech: dogma f
• Danish: dogme n
• Dutch: dogmatiek (nl) f
• Esperanto: dogmo
• Estonian: dogma (et), doktriin, õpetus (et)
• Finnish: dogmi (fi), doktriini (fi)
• Greek: δόγμα (el) n (dógma)

  Ancient: δόγμα n (dógma)

• Hindi: आधिकारिक मत (ādhikārik mat)
• Hungarian: dogma (hu), hittétel (hu)
• Ido: dogmato (io)
• Irish: dogma m
• Italian: dogma (it) m, dottrina (it) f
• Japanese: 教義 (ja) (きょうぎ, kyōgi), 教理 (ja) (きょうり, kyōri)
• Khmer: លទ្ធិ (km) (latthiʼ)
• Korean: 교의(敎義) (ko) (gyoui), 교리(敎理) (ko) (gyori)
• Lao: ລັດທິ (lo) (lat thi)
• Latvian: dogma f, doktrīna f
• Lithuanian: dogma f, doktrina (lt) f
• Manx: bun-chredjue m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: dogme n, læresetning m or f

  Nynorsk: dogme n, læresetning f

• Polish: dogmat (pl) m, doktryna (pl) f
• Portuguese: dogma (pt) m, doutrina (pt) f
• Romanian: dogmă (ro) f, doctrină (ro) f
• Russian: вероуче́ние (ru) n (veroučénije), до́гма (ru) f (dógma), доктри́на (ru) f (doktrína)
• Scottish Gaelic: gnàth-theagasg m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: до̏гма f, доктри́на f

  Roman: dȍgma (sh) f, doktrína (sh) f

• Slovak: dogma f
• Slovene: dogma f, doktrina f
• Spanish: dogma (es) m
• Swedish: dogm (sv) c
• Thai: ลัทธิ (th) (lát-tí)
• Ukrainian: до́гма f (dóhma), доктри́на f (doktrýna)

See also

• axioma
• creed

Further reading

• James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Dogma”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume III (D–E), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 583, column 1.

Anagrams

• GOMAD, go mad

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dogma, from Ancient Greek δόγμα (dógma, “belief”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈdoɡ.mə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈdoɡ.ma]

Noun

dogma m (plural dogmes)

1. dogma

Derived terms

• dogmatitzar

Related terms

• dogmàtic
• dogmatisme

Further reading

• “dogma” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “dogma”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “dogma” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “dogma” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdoɡma]

Noun

dogma n

1. dogma (authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion)

Declension

Declension of dogma (ma-stem neuter reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	dogma	dogmata
genitive	dogmatu	dogmat
dative	dogmatu	dogmatům
accusative	dogma	dogmata
vocative	dogma	dogmata
locative	dogmatu	dogmatech
instrumental	dogmatem	dogmaty

Related terms

• dogmatický
• dogmatik
• dogmatika
• dogmatismus

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dogma, from Ancient Greek δόγμα (dógma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɔx.maː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: dog‧ma

Noun

dogma n (plural dogmata or dogma's or dogmen, diminutive dogmaatje n)

1. dogma (colloquially with connotations of strictness and inflexibility)

Synonyms

• geloofspunt
• leerstelling
• leerstuk

Derived terms

• dogmaticus
• dogmatisch
• dogmatisme

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdoɡma/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: dog‧ma

Adjective

dogma (accusative singular dogman, plural dogmaj, accusative plural dogmajn)

1. dogmatic, dogmatical

Related terms

• dogmo

Finnish

Etymology

Internationalism (see English dogma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdoɡmɑ/, [ˈdo̞ɡmɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -oɡmɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): dog‧ma

Noun

dogma

1. Alternative form of dogmi

Declension

Inflection of dogma (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)
nominative		dogma	dogmat
genitive		dogman	dogmien
partitive		dogmaa	dogmia
illative		dogmaan	dogmiin
		singular	plural
nominative		dogma	dogmat
accusative	nom.	dogma	dogmat
	gen.	dogman
genitive		dogman	dogmien dogmain rare
partitive		dogmaa	dogmia
inessive		dogmassa	dogmissa
elative		dogmasta	dogmista
illative		dogmaan	dogmiin
adessive		dogmalla	dogmilla
ablative		dogmalta	dogmilta
allative		dogmalle	dogmille
essive		dogmana	dogmina
translative		dogmaksi	dogmiksi
abessive		dogmatta	dogmitta
instructive		—	dogmin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of dogma (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative dogmani dogmani accusative nom. dogmani dogmani gen. dogmani genitive dogmani dogmieni dogmaini rare partitive dogmaani dogmiani inessive dogmassani dogmissani elative dogmastani dogmistani illative dogmaani dogmiini adessive dogmallani dogmillani ablative dogmaltani dogmiltani allative dogmalleni dogmilleni essive dogmanani dogminani translative dogmakseni dogmikseni abessive dogmattani dogmittani instructive — — comitative — dogmineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative dogmasi dogmasi accusative nom. dogmasi dogmasi gen. dogmasi genitive dogmasi dogmiesi dogmaisi rare partitive dogmaasi dogmiasi inessive dogmassasi dogmissasi elative dogmastasi dogmistasi illative dogmaasi dogmiisi adessive dogmallasi dogmillasi ablative dogmaltasi dogmiltasi allative dogmallesi dogmillesi essive dogmanasi dogminasi translative dogmaksesi dogmiksesi abessive dogmattasi dogmittasi instructive — — comitative — dogminesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative dogmamme dogmamme accusative nom. dogmamme dogmamme gen. dogmamme genitive dogmamme dogmiemme dogmaimme rare partitive dogmaamme dogmiamme inessive dogmassamme dogmissamme elative dogmastamme dogmistamme illative dogmaamme dogmiimme adessive dogmallamme dogmillamme ablative dogmaltamme dogmiltamme allative dogmallemme dogmillemme essive dogmanamme dogminamme translative dogmaksemme dogmiksemme abessive dogmattamme dogmittamme instructive — — comitative — dogminemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative dogmanne dogmanne accusative nom. dogmanne dogmanne gen. dogmanne genitive dogmanne dogmienne dogmainne rare partitive dogmaanne dogmianne inessive dogmassanne dogmissanne elative dogmastanne dogmistanne illative dogmaanne dogmiinne adessive dogmallanne dogmillanne ablative dogmaltanne dogmiltanne allative dogmallenne dogmillenne essive dogmananne dogminanne translative dogmaksenne dogmiksenne abessive dogmattanne dogmittanne instructive — — comitative — dogminenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative dogmansa dogmansa accusative nom. dogmansa dogmansa gen. dogmansa genitive dogmansa dogmiensa dogmainsa rare partitive dogmaansa dogmiaan dogmiansa inessive dogmassaan dogmassansa dogmissaan dogmissansa elative dogmastaan dogmastansa dogmistaan dogmistansa illative dogmaansa dogmiinsa adessive dogmallaan dogmallansa dogmillaan dogmillansa ablative dogmaltaan dogmaltansa dogmiltaan dogmiltansa allative dogmalleen dogmallensa dogmilleen dogmillensa essive dogmanaan dogmanansa dogminaan dogminansa translative dogmakseen dogmaksensa dogmikseen dogmiksensa abessive dogmattaan dogmattansa dogmittaan dogmittansa instructive — — comitative — dogmineen dogminensa

Derived terms

(compounds):

• dogmaelokuva

Galician

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin dogma, from Ancient Greek δόγμα (dógma, “belief”).

Noun

dogma m (plural dogmas)

1. dogma

Derived terms

• dogmatizar

Related terms

• dogmático
• dogmatismo

Further reading

• “dogma”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

Hungarian

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δόγμα (dógma, “opinion, tenet”), from δοκέω (dokéō, “I seem good, think”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdoɡmɒ]
• Hyphenation: dog‧ma
• Rhymes: -mɒ

Noun

dogma (plural dogmák)

1. dogma (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)
2. dogma (a doctrine (or set of doctrines) relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth authoritatively by a religious organization or leader)

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	dogma	dogmák
accusative	dogmát	dogmákat
dative	dogmának	dogmáknak
instrumental	dogmával	dogmákkal
causal-final	dogmáért	dogmákért
translative	dogmává	dogmákká
terminative	dogmáig	dogmákig
essive-formal	dogmaként	dogmákként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	dogmában	dogmákban
superessive	dogmán	dogmákon
adessive	dogmánál	dogmáknál
illative	dogmába	dogmákba
sublative	dogmára	dogmákra
allative	dogmához	dogmákhoz
elative	dogmából	dogmákból
delative	dogmáról	dogmákról
ablative	dogmától	dogmáktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	dogmáé	dogmáké
non-attributive possessive – plural	dogmáéi	dogmákéi

Possessive forms of dogma

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	dogmám	dogmáim
2nd person sing.	dogmád	dogmáid
3rd person sing.	dogmája	dogmái
1st person plural	dogmánk	dogmáink
2nd person plural	dogmátok	dogmáitok
3rd person plural	dogmájuk	dogmáik

Related terms

• dogmatika
• dogmatikus
• dogmatizmus

Further reading

• dogma in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• dogma in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dogma, from Ancient Greek δόγμα (dógma, “belief”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɔɡ.ma/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔɡma
• Hyphenation: dòg‧ma

Noun

dogma m (plural dogmi)

1. dogma

Related terms

• dogmatico

Further reading

• dogma in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δόγμα (dógma, “opinion, tenet”), from δοκέω (dokéō, “I suppose, think, evince”), from δέχομαι (dékhomai, “I take, accept”), from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- (“to take”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈdoɡ.ma/, [ˈd̪ɔɡmä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈdoɡ.ma/, [ˈd̪ɔɡmä]

Noun

dogma n (genitive dogmatis); third declension

1. A philosophic tenet, doctrine, dogma
2. A decree, order

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

	singular	plural
nominative	dogma	dogmata
genitive	dogmatis	dogmatum
dative	dogmatī	dogmatibus
accusative	dogma	dogmata
ablative	dogmate	dogmatibus
vocative	dogma	dogmata

Related terms

• dogmaticus m
• dogmatistes m

Descendants

• → Armenian: դոգմա (dogma)
• → Catalan: dogma
• → Czech: dogma
• → Danish: dogme
• → Dutch: dogma
• → English: dogma
• → Finnish: dogmi
• → French: dogme
• → Galician: dogma
• → German: Dogma
• → Hungarian: dogma
• → Italian: dogma
• → Norwegian: dogme
• → Portuguese: dogma
• → Russian: догма (dogma)
• → Spanish: dogma
• → Swedish: dogm

References

• “dogma”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “dogma”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "dogma", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• dogma in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• dogmene

Noun

dogma n

1. definite plural of dogme

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

dogma n

1. definite plural of dogme

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin dogma, from Ancient Greek δόγμα (dógma, “belief”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈdɔ.ɡi.mɐ/, /ˈdɔɡ.mɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈdɔ.ɡi.mɐ/, /ˈdɔɡ.mɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈdɔɡ.ma/, /ˈdɔ.ɡi.ma/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈdɔ.ɡmɐ/ [ˈdɔ.ɣmɐ]

• Hyphenation: dog‧ma

Noun

dogma m (plural dogmas)

1. (chiefly religion and philosophy) dogma (an indisputable and authoritative principle or belief)

Related terms

• dogmático

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dôɡma/
• Hyphenation: dog‧ma

Noun

dȍgma f (Cyrillic spelling до̏гма)

1. dogma

Declension

Declension of dogma

	singular	plural
nominative	dȍgma	dogme
genitive	dogme	dȏgmā / dȏgmī
dative	dogmi	dogmama
accusative	dogmu	dogme
vocative	dogmo	dogme
locative	dogmi	dogmama
instrumental	dogmom	dogmama

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin dogma, from Ancient Greek δόγμα (dógma), from δοκέω (dokéō, “to seem good, think”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdoɡma/ [ˈd̪oɣ̞.ma]
• Rhymes: -oɡma
• Syllabification: dog‧ma

Noun

dogma m (plural dogmas)

1. dogma

Derived terms

• dogma de fe
• dogmatizar

Related terms

• dogmático
• dogmatismo

Further reading

• “dogma”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Turkish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin dogma, from Ancient Greek δόγμα (dógma, “belief”), from δοκέω (dokéō, “to seem good, think”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /doɡma/, [doɡma]
• Hyphenation: dog‧ma

Noun

dogma (definite accusative dogmayı, plural dogmalar)

1. (chiefly religion and philosophy) dogma (an indisputable and authoritative principle or belief)

Related terms

• dogmatik