Word: doctrinaire (adjective, noun)

Associations

"Doctrinaire" describes a person or idea that strictly follows a set of beliefs or theories without considering practical situations or other opinions.

• As an adjective: "His doctrinaire approach to teaching ignores students' individual needs." This means he sticks too rigidly to his methods.
• As a noun: "She is a doctrinaire who refuses to change her political views." Here, it means a person who is inflexible in their beliefs.
• It is often used in politics, philosophy, or education when someone is seen as too rigid or uncompromising. A well-known synonym is "dogmatic." The difference: "dogmatic" often means being certain about beliefs and unwilling to accept others, while "doctrinaire" emphasizes strict adherence to a doctrine or theory, often ignoring reality.

Substitution

Instead of "doctrinaire," you can use:

• rigid — focuses on being inflexible but less about following a specific doctrine.
• inflexible — means unwilling to change, more general.
• dogmatic — emphasizes being strongly opinionated and unwilling to listen. Changing the word changes the tone: "rigid" is neutral, "dogmatic" is stronger in opinion, "doctrinaire" highlights strict following of a theory.

Deconstruction

"Doctrinaire" comes from the French word "doctrinaire," which comes from "doctrine" (a set of beliefs).

• Root: "doctrine" means a principle or set of beliefs.
• Suffix: "-aire" in French means "related to" or "belonging to." So, "doctrinaire" literally means "related to doctrine," someone who follows a doctrine strictly.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where being doctrinaire might be good? When might it be bad?
• Have you ever met someone who was doctrinaire? How did it affect your conversation or relationship?
• How does being open-minded compare to being doctrinaire? Can a balance exist between the two?