Advanced · Philosophy & belief
Theodicy: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Theodicy noun. An attempt to explain why a good and all-powerful God allows evil and suffering.
How to say it
thee-OD-ih-see/θɪˈɒdɪsi/
4 syllables, stressed on the second (OD). Forms: theodicies.
Theodicy in a sentence
After the earthquake, the vicar's sermon was a careful theodicy that satisfied almost nobody.
Every theodicy must answer the same question: why do the innocent suffer?
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- vindication of God
- apologetics
Where theodicy comes from
From Leibniz's Théodicée of 1710, from Greek theos, god, and dikē, justice.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Every _____ must answer the same question: why do the innocent suffer?
- theodicy
- sophistry
- ideology
Show the answer
theodicy: Every theodicy must answer the same question: why do the innocent suffer?