Theodicy
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A justification of a deity or of particular attributes of a deity; specifically, a justification of the existence of evil and suffering in the world; a work or discourse justifying the ways of God.
"2000 [Kluwer Academic], Charles Seymour, A Theodicy of Hell, 2010, Springer, Softcover reprint, page 195, In general, my theodicy of hell is more congenial to those denominations with less rigidly defined doctrinal systems. Does this mean I have allowed theodicy to encroach on theology, contrary to my avowed purpose?"
- 2 the branch of theology that defends God's goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil wordnet
Example
More examples"2000 [Kluwer Academic], Charles Seymour, A Theodicy of Hell, 2010, Springer, Softcover reprint, page 195, In general, my theodicy of hell is more congenial to those denominations with less rigidly defined doctrinal systems. Does this mean I have allowed theodicy to encroach on theology, contrary to my avowed purpose?"
Etymology
Borrowed from French théodicée, from Ancient Greek θεός (theós, “god”) + δίκη (díkē, “justice”), coined by German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in his 1710 work Essais de Théodicée sur la bonté de Dieu, la liberté de l'homme et l'origine du mal (Essays of Theodicy on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil), commonly known as Théodicée.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.