Doctrinate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To teach someone a particular set of beliefs or principles so thoroughly that they accept them without question
2. To instill a fixed system of beliefs in a person or group through repeated instruction
3. To impart a body of doctrinal teaching to others, shaping how they think about a subject

Etymology: English speakers usually know "doctor" as a physician, but the word originally meant "teacher." It comes from Latin "doctor," derived from "docere," "to teach." The same root gives "doctrine," a body of teaching, and "docile," meaning easily taught. "Doctrinate" is built on "doctrine" with the verb-forming ending "-ate," from Latin "-atus," the same ending found in verbs like "educate." The verb means to teach someone a fixed set of beliefs, often in a way that discourages questioning. Its meaning follows closely from its parts: the teaching is the doctrine, and the verb describes handing that doctrine to someone.