'doctrinalism' originates from English, specifically from the word 'doctrine' combined with the suffixes '-al' and '-ism', where 'doctrine' ultimately comes from Latin 'doctrina' meaning 'teaching'.

'doctrine' derives from Latin 'doctrina' (from the verb 'docēre', 'to teach'); it passed into Old French and Middle English as 'doctrine'/'doctrin', and the adjective 'doctrinal' and the noun-forming suffix '-ism' were later added in English to form 'doctrinalism'.

Initially it referred to 'teaching' or 'instruction' (Latin 'doctrina'), but over time it evolved to mean 'a set of beliefs or principles' and further to 'the emphasis on or strict adherence to those beliefs' in the sense of 'doctrinalism'.