Meaning & use
indoctrinate
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Meanings
verbtransitivedisapproving
To teach someone a set of beliefs again and again so that they accept them without questioning.
Grammar: Takes an object: indoctrinate young people; often followed by with or in.
Patterns
- indoctrinate someone with something
- indoctrinate someone in something
The regime tried to indoctrinate children with its ideology.
Critics say the group indoctrinates new members and discourages questions.
Schools should teach students how to think, not indoctrinate them.
verbtransitivemilitaryold-fashioned
To train someone in the rules and habits of an organization, especially a military one.
Grammar: Less negative than the main sense and used in training: indoctrinate recruits.
Patterns
- indoctrinate someone in something
New recruits were indoctrinated in the rules of the base.
The company indoctrinates employees in its safety procedures.
Cadets are indoctrinated in discipline during the first weeks.
Word forms
| third person singular | indoctrinates |
|---|---|
| past tense | indoctrinated |
| past participle | indoctrinated |
| -ing form | indoctrinating |
Common combinations
- indoctrinate children
- Parents worried the program would indoctrinate children.
- indoctrinate with propaganda
- State media tried to indoctrinate citizens with propaganda.
- systematically indoctrinate
- The cult systematically indoctrinated its followers.
- indoctrinate recruits
- The army indoctrinates recruits in military customs.
- accused of indoctrinating
- The teacher was accused of indoctrinating her students.
Synonyms and how they differ
- brainwash
- A stronger, more informal word suggesting forced or manipulative mental control, while indoctrinate stresses repeated teaching of beliefs.
- instruct
- A neutral word for teaching, without the sense that questioning is discouraged.
- proselytize
- Means trying to convert people to a religion or belief, but not necessarily by pressure.
- condition
- Suggests shaping behavior through repeated influence, often less deliberate than indoctrinate.
Opposites
Word family
- indoctrination noun
- the process of teaching beliefs uncritically
- indoctrinator noun
- a person who indoctrinates others
- doctrine noun
- a set of beliefs taught by a group
- indoctrinated adjective
- taught to accept beliefs without question
Commonly confused: indoctrinate or educate?
indoctrinate vs educate
To educate is to teach in a way that encourages understanding and questioning; to indoctrinate is to teach beliefs so they are accepted without question.
Practice
Which sentence best shows the negative meaning of indoctrinate?
Choose one answer.
Indoctrinate implies forcing beliefs on people while discouraging questions. The other options describe normal, open teaching.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “indoctrinate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.