Monroe Doctrine

noun

Mon·​roe Doctrine mən-ˈrō- How to pronounce Monroe Doctrine (audio)
 also  ˈmən-,
 or  ˈmän-
: a statement of U.S. foreign policy expressing opposition to extension of European control or influence in the western hemisphere

Examples of Monroe Doctrine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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As China’s influence grows in the Americas, Trump hints at a Monroe Doctrine 2.0 After Form Energy chose Weirton as a site to build its plant, Mr. Weld sponsored legislation in 2023 to authorize up to $290 million in state subsidies for the project, which is expected to create 750 jobs by 2028. Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2025 On December 2, 1823, President James Monroe gave his 7th State of the Union address before Congress, using the occasion to advance what would later become known as the Monroe Doctrine. William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2025 President Trump wants Latin American countries to shift closer into Washington’s orbit, raising echoes of the Monroe Doctrine, when the United States claimed the Western Hemisphere as its domain. Chris Buckley, New York Times, 12 May 2025 Indeed, before long the president may be back to running just the Americas (and potentially, only North America) like in the days of the Monroe Doctrine. Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2025 But in truth, the Monroe Doctrine, which warned outside powers to stay away from the Western Hemisphere, asserted an American sphere of influence; during the Cold War, the United States implicitly accepted Soviet hegemony over Eastern Europe and extended its own influence over the West. Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025 In 1904, after the Spanish-American War, President Theodore Roosevelt issued what became known as his corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025 Ultimately, the British worked with an upstart liberal country—the United States—to cordon off the Western Hemisphere from European intervention, tacitly supporting the Monroe Doctrine with British naval might. Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 From Washington’s Farewell Address to the formulation of the Monroe Doctrine, America’s first statesmen outlined a truly American foreign policy approach. Caroline Downey, National Review, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

James Monroe

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Monroe Doctrine was in 1850

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Cite this Entry

“Monroe Doctrine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Monroe%20Doctrine. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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