orthopraxy
/ˈoɹθəˌpɹæksi/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.10 in modern English
25
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Correctness of practice or action in regard to religion and especially religious ritual, particularly in juxtaposition to "correct doctrine", or "correct belief" (that is, "orthodoxy").
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Right belief combined with right practice, with the emphasis on the latter, often in Latin American liberation theology, contrasting with an orthodoxy seen as insufficiently interested in the practical and political content of faith.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "At times, the powerful forces for change threaten traditional values, and religious communities may hold tightly to an orthopraxy in order to maintain traditional values. At other times, orthopraxy evolves along with community acceptance of new realities and values, as in the loosening of regulations on drinking and card playing among American Methodists in the mid-twentieth century or the changes in Catholicism following Vatican II. An earlier example of this is the acceptance of married clergy among Pure Land Buddhists in Japan[.]"
Etymology
A modern, nineteenth century derivation mimicking that of Ancient Greek ὀρθοδοξία (orthodoxía), using the stems of ὀρθός (orthós, “correct”) + πρᾶξις (prâxis, “action, deed; conduct, practice”), and the English suffix -y creating abstract nouns.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈoɹθəˌpɹæksi/
- British English: /ˈɔːθəˌpɹæksi/