orthodox

1 of 2

adjective

or·​tho·​dox ˈȯr-thə-ˌdäks How to pronounce orthodox (audio)
Synonyms of orthodoxnext
1
a
: conforming to established doctrine especially in religion
orthodox principles
the orthodox interpretation
b
: conventional
took an orthodox approach to the problem
orthodox medicine
2
capitalized : of, relating to, or constituting any of various conservative religious or political groups: such as
a
: eastern orthodox
Greek Orthodox rituals
b
: of, relating to, or practicing Orthodox Judaism
The core market for these vinifera wines remains Orthodox Jews who require kosher foods for religious ceremonies.—Thomas Matthews
orthodoxly adverb

orthodox

2 of 2

noun

plural orthodox also orthodoxes
1
: one that is orthodox
2
capitalized : a member of an Eastern Orthodox church

Did you know?

An orthodox religious belief or interpretation is one handed down by a church's founders or leaders. When capitalized, as in Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox refers to a branch within a larger religious organization that claims to honor the religion's original or traditional beliefs. The steadfast holding of established beliefs that is seen in religious orthodoxy is apparent also in other kinds of orthodox behavior. Orthodox medical treatment, for example, follows the established practices of mainstream medicine. Unorthodox thinking is known in business language as "thinking outside the box".

Synonyms

Adjective

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of orthodox in a Sentence

Adjective He took an orthodox approach to the problem. She believes in the benefits of both orthodox medicine and alternative medicine. He is a very orthodox Muslim. I attend an Eastern Orthodox church. My grandmother is Russian Orthodox.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Funnels and Pinch Points Funnels and pinch-points are among the most orthodox stand locations during the rut. —Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024 Harris emphasized distributional conflict at a time when few orthodox economists were doing so. —John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
No Name Restaurant, from directors Stefan Sarazin and Peter Keller, is a road comedy about an ultra orthodox Brooklyn Jew stranded in the Sinai desert whose only hope for survival is a grumpy Bedouin. —James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2023 Conventional orthodox Christians have to grapple with perplexing predictions in the Bible itself. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 22 May 2011 See all Example Sentences for orthodox 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English orthodoxe, from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French orthodoxe, from Late Latin orthodoxus, from Late Greek orthodoxos, from Greek orth- + doxa opinion — more at doxology

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of orthodox was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near orthodox

orthodontics

orthodox

orthodoxal

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Orthodox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orthodox. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

orthodox

adjective
or·​tho·​dox
ˈȯr-thə-ˌdäks
1
: holding established beliefs especially in religion
an orthodox Christian
2
: approved as measuring up to some standard : usual, conventional
take an orthodox approach to a problem
3
capitalized
a
: eastern orthodox
b
: of or relating to Orthodox Judaism
orthodoxly adverb
Etymology

Adjective

from early French orthodoxe or Latin orthodoxus, both meaning "orthodox," from Greek orthodoxos (same meaning), from orthodoxein "to have the right or true opinion," derived from orthos "right, true" and doxa "opinion"

Word Origin
When someone has the same opinions and beliefs as those held by most other people, these opinions are usually considered the "right" opinions to have. In English such opinions might be called "orthodox." The English word orthodox comes originally from the Greek words orthos, meaning "right, true" and doxa, meaning "opinion." These two words were combined to form the Greek verb orthodoxein, meaning "to have the right opinion." From orthodoxein came the Greek adjective orthodoxos, which was borrowed into Latin as orthodoxus. The English adjective orthodox comes from this Latin adjective.

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Nglish: Translation of orthodox for Spanish Speakers

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about orthodox

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