This word confusion dogmatic vs pragmatic sounds quite stuffy, doesn’t it.
A dogmatic person is someone who is 100% sure of their system despite evidence to the contrary. They may be close-minded and often religious. They believe in following the rules, living in the world they want, and acting a little stuck up about it.
A pragmatic person is practical and makes decisions based on real world conditions or circumstance. Think of it as living in the real world, wearing comfortable shoes.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
If you found this post on “Dogmatic versus Pragmatic” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.
| Dogmatic | Pragmatic |
|---|---|
 — |
 — |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective | Adjective; Noun
Plural for the noun: pragmatics |
Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner
Relating to or of the nature of a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true
|
Adjective: Dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations
Treating historical phenomena with special reference to their causes, antecedent conditions, and results Of or relating to the affairs of state or community [Archaic] Busy
[Archaic] Officious
Noun: [Historical; uses initial capital letters; Pragmatic Sanction] Any of several imperial or royal decrees limiting the power or privilege of the papacy
[Archaic] An officious or meddlesome person |
| Examples: | |
| He gives his opinion without trying to be dogmatic.
We hear dogmatic arguments from both sides of the political spectrum. I refuse to argue with someone so dogmatic that he won’t listen to reason. |
Adjective: She took a pragmatic approach to business ethics. She is a pragmatic leader. Gracie took a pragmatic look at her situation. It’s a pragmatic approach to health care. “But along with the curiosity comes a pragmatic side, a commitment to seeing those visions through” (Behind). Pragmatic linguistics studies how meaning is communicated by a speaker and interpreted by a listener, in actual situations. “That is a short-term, pragmatic solution that would bring an awful lot more flights into the country” (McNeil). “Then again, it’s probably the most pragmatic approach to adolescence in an age of ubiquitous photography” (Walker). There were pragmatic inferences. “Advice, when she offered it, tended to be of the hard-boiled and pragmatic variety” (Obama). Noun: “The study of pragmatics revolves around both the literal and nonliteral aspects of language and how physical or social contexts determine the use of those linguistic expressions” (MasterClass). He was a pragmatic who couldn’t resist sticking his nose in. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: antidogmatic, antidogmatical, nondogmatic, nondogmatical, overdogmatic, overdogmatical, undogmatic, undogmatical Adverb: antidogmatically, dogmatically, nondogmatically, overdogmatically, undogmatically Noun: dogma, dogmaticalness, dogmatism, dogmatist, overdogmaticalness Verb: dogmatise [English], dogmatize |
Adjective: antipragmatic, antipragmatical, nonpragmatic, nonpragmatical, unpragmatic, unpragmatical Adverb: antipragmatically, pragmatically, nonpragmatically, unpragmatically Noun: nonpragmatic, pragmatics, pragmaticality, pragmaticalness, pragmatist |
| History of the Word: | |
| Early 17th century as a noun denoting a philosopher or physician of a school based on a priori assumptions, via the late Latin from the Greek dogmatikos, from dogma, dogmat-. | Late 16th century, in the senses busy, interfering, conceited, via the Latin from the Greek pragmatikos meaning relating to fact, from pragma meaning deed, from the stem of prattein meaning do.
The current senses date from the mid 19th century. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Dogmatic versus Pragmatic
Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.
Apple Dictionary.com
“A Behind-the-Scenes Eminence Shapes a Festival’s Future.” New York Times. 19 July 2022. Web. 5 Sept 2022. <https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/arts/music/pierre-audi-aix-festival.html>.
Dictionary.com: dogmatic, pragmatic
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pragmatic Sanction of Emperor Charles VI.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. n.d. Web. 5 Sept 2022. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pragmatic-Sanction-of-Emperor-Charles-VI>.
MasterClass. “Pragmatics in Linguistics: Definition and Examples.” Last updated: 23 Aug 2021. Web. 5 Sept 2022. <https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pragmatics-in-linguistics-guide>.
McNeil, Linsey. “BA Tells Britons Not to Fly During Olympics in New Ad Campaign.” Airport Watch. 19 June 2012. Web. 5 Sept 2022. <https://www.airportwatch.org.uk/category/recent-news/page/462/>.
Obama, Michelle. Becoming. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2018. ISBN-13: 978-1524763138. <https://amzn.to/3Bd4nka>.
Walker, Harriet. “How Long Hair Took Over.” The Times Magazine. 10 Sep 2016. Web. 5 Sept 2022. <https://www.thetimes.co.uk>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Global Climate Strike, London, by Garry Knight is in the public domain, via Flickr. The image is part of an article by Kela Fetters, “Youth Climate Strike Goes Global” that was published in ENVIRONMENT on 22 March 2019.
Revised as of 10 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie