Indoctrinate

 WORD OF THE DAY

indoctrinate / verb / in-DAHK-truh-nay

Definition
1: to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle
2a: to instruct especially in fundamentals or rudiments
2b: teach

Examples
"Moreover, in a pluralistic society, parents from varied backgrounds want to know their children can receive a public education without being indoctrinated into a faith not their own."
— David Callaway, The Parsons (Kansas) Sun, 26 Dec. 2020

Without leaders’ coordinated efforts to indoctrinate such a base, no lie can take hold.
— Katherine Stewart, The New Republic, 10 Jan. 2022

Did You Know?
Indoctrinate simply means "brainwash" to many people. But its meaning isn't always so negative.
When this verb first appeared in English in the 17th century, it simply meant "to teach"—a meaning that followed logically from its Latin root.
The "doc" in the middle of indoctrinate derives from the Latin verb docēre, which also means "to teach." Other offspring of docēre include docent (referring to a college professor or a museum guide), docile, doctor, doctrine, and document.
It was not until the 19th century that indoctrinate began to see regular use in the sense of causing someone to absorb and take on certain opinions or principles.