doc·tri·naire

(dŏk′trə-nâr′)

adj.

Relating to, adhering to, or insisting upon a doctrine or theory without regard to practical considerations or problems.

A doctrinaire person.

[French, from doctrine, doctrine, from Old French; see doctrine.]

doc′tri·nair′ism n.

doc′tri·nar′i·an n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

doctrinaire

(ˌdɒktrɪˈnɛə)

adj

1. stubbornly insistent on the observation of the niceties of a theory, esp without regard to practicality, suitability, etc

2. theoretical; impractical

a person who stubbornly attempts to apply a theory without regard to practical difficulties

ˌdoctriˈnairism, ˌdoctriˈnarism n

ˌdoctriˈnarian n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

doc•tri•naire

(ˈdɒk trəˈnɛər)

n.

1. a person who tries to apply some doctrine or theory without sufficient regard for practical considerations.

adj.

2. dogmatic about one's ideas; fanatical.

3. merely theoretical; impractical.

4. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a doctrinaire.

[1810–20; < French; see doctrine, -aire]

doc`tri•nair′ism, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	doctrinaire - a stubborn person of arbitrary or arrogant opinions dogmatist drumbeater, partisan, zealot - a fervent and even militant proponent of something
Adj.	1.	doctrinaire - stubbornly insistent on theory without regard for practicality or suitability instructive, informative - serving to instruct or enlighten or inform

doctrinaire

adjective

1. dogmatic, rigid, fanatical, inflexible forty-five years of doctrinaire Stalinism

2. impractical, theoretical, speculative, ideological, unrealistic, hypothetical, unpragmatic It is a doctrinaire scheme.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

doctrinaire

adjective

Devoted to certain doctrines without regard to practicability:

dogmatic.

Translations

dogmatico

doctrinaire

[ˌdɒktrɪˈnɛəʳ]

A. ADJ → doctrinario

B. N → doctrinario/a m/f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

doctrinaire

[ˌdɒktrɪˈnɛə^r] adj [person] (= dogmatic) → doctrinaire

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

doctrinaire

adj → doktrinär

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

doctrinaire

[ˌdɒktrɪˈnɛəʳ] adj (pej) → dottrinario/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

But Nature, who has no doctrinaire ideas, may equally apply it to concentration.

View in context

Standing well at court, whether the king regnant was of the older or younger branch, whether the government was doctrinaire liberal, or conservative; looked upon by all as a man of talent, since those who have never experienced a political check are generally so regarded; hated by many, but warmly supported by others, without being really liked by anybody, M.

View in context

She reminded Issie for a moment of Renate, in gestures that obscurely cancelled one another out: a doctrinaire holding forth of nonsensical principles as mandatory.

MORNING SERIAL

Perhaps he is also troubled by Jeremy Corbyn's ideological stubbornness, and the damaging influence that doctrinaire aide Seumas Milne and others seem to have on the leader.

Labour's shocking dysfunction

Clarida won't be doctrinaire in the rate decision, but will take his cue from inflation and unemployment data.

I haven't been a doctrinaire vegetarian or vegan, but I no longer have the same appetite for meat.

QUOTES OF THE DAY

Writing to Nixon in 1971, Kirk told him "that some rather doctrinaire conservatives of our acquaintance ...

Imaginative Conservatism: The Letters of Russell Kirk

And their "marriage" expert civilians were on the doctrinaire spectrum of Catholic couples.

Mysterious millennial

At the same time he will launch a renewed attack on Jeremy Corbyn, saying the Labour leader continued to work with Theresa May "to make Brexit happen" while pursuing a policy of "doctrinaire socialism".

Sir Vince accusing ministers of 'fraud'

Life is too short to be doctrinaire about my cocktails or deliberately set myself up for disappointment.

The Southern Foodways Alliance Guide to Cocktails

Lukacs is one of the few Marxist literary critics of the interwar period whose work remains influential (and devoid of the dreariness of much doctrinaire Marxist literary criticism).

Statue of Gyorgy Lukacs in Budapest To Be Removed

If only such books could be read in a spirit of disinterested science by people of a doctrinaire bent who have made up their minds without the least regard for evidence of effectiveness about an approach to treatment that has restored health to so many people in so many lands over so many years.

Good News for People with Bad News