A set of tenets is a set of beliefs or principles that are held to be true and form the basis of a particular system of thought. DOGMA, ISM, and creed are all terms used to refer to such a set of tenets. DOGMA is a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true, while ISM is a suffix used to denote a distinctive doctrine, theory, or system, and creed is a set of beliefs or aims that guide someone's actions.