indoctrinate

C2+ Topic:Education & Learning

US /ɪnˈdɑktrɪneɪt/ UK /ɪnˈdɒktrɪneɪt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to teach someone to accept a set of beliefs uncritically

The regime sought to indoctrinate children through state textbooks.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to teach someone to accept... brainwash instill instructpropagandizecondition program

Word family

Derived forms indoctrinationindoctrinator

Related forms doctrine doctor document doctrinaire

Etymology

From in- ('in') + doctrine + -ate, modeled on earlier 'indoctrine'; ultimately from Latin doctrina ('teaching'), from doctor ('teacher'), from docere ('to teach').

doctrina Latin docere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Education & Learning Word Formation & Derivatives

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# indoctrinate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈdɑktrɪneɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈdɒktrɪneɪt/

## Meanings
1. to teach someone to accept a set of beliefs uncritically

## Examples
- The regime sought to indoctrinate children through state textbooks.

## Synonyms
- brainwash
- instill
- instruct
- propagandize
- condition
- program

## Derived Forms
- indoctrination
- indoctrinator

## Related Forms
- doctrine
- doctor
- document
- doctrinaire

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: doctrina
- Root: docere

## Etymology
From in- ('in') + doctrine + -ate, modeled on earlier 'indoctrine'; ultimately from Latin doctrina ('teaching'), from doctor ('teacher'), from docere ('to teach').

## AI Etymology
Indoctrinate comes from in- ('in') + doctrine + -ate, modeled on earlier 'indoctrine'; ultimately from Latin doctrina ('teaching'), from doctor ('teacher'), from docere ('to teach'). The prefix changes the base's direction, polarity, or scope, while the suffix fixes the word's final grammatical role. As a verb, it means "to teach someone to accept a set of beliefs uncritically", so the modern sense keeps the older action or relation visible. Relevant historical forms include Latin doctrina and Latin docere. Derivative forms include indoctrination, indoctrinator; related words include doctrine, doctor, document, doctrinaire.

## Topics
- Education & Learning
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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indoctrinate

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