1
as in dissenter
a person who believes, teaches, or advocates something opposed to accepted beliefs
Galileo was condemned as a heretic for supporting Copernicus's thesis that the earth revolves around the sun and not vice versa
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in maverick
a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs
he's the ultimate heretic: a Yankees fan living deep in the heart of the Red Sox Nation
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Recent Examples of heretic
His 1559 index counted any books written by people the church deemed heretics – anyone not speaking dogma, in the widest sense.
—
Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
The show is set in 15th century Europe at a time of inquisition, a time when heretics are burned at the stake and it is essentially forbidden to look at the stars.
—Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2025
By 1120, the church council in Jerusalem ordered that sodomites, like heretics, be burned at the stake.
—S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
The witch in question is Jovovich’s Gray Alys, introduced on the brink of being hanged as a heretic by Ash (Arly Jover), a fervent enforcer in a dystopian future ruled by both a royal house and cult-like church.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretic
Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
The show is set in 15th century Europe at a time of inquisition, a time when heretics are burned at the stake and it is essentially forbidden to look at the stars.
—Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2025
By 1120, the church council in Jerusalem ordered that sodomites, like heretics, be burned at the stake.
—S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
The witch in question is Jovovich’s Gray Alys, introduced on the brink of being hanged as a heretic by Ash (Arly Jover), a fervent enforcer in a dystopian future ruled by both a royal house and cult-like church.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretic
Noun
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Early last month, Johnson, who has cast three rare tie-breaker votes and come close to issuing the first veto in decades, likened dealing with dissenters to being at a Thanksgiving dinner, where there is sometimes disagreement on what to make.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2025
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Big Brother was Josef Stalin – controlling the thoughts of his people, punishing dissenters.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
17 May 2025
Noun
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Alvarez has been described as a scientific Indiana Jones, but his reputation as a maverick was built on a foundation of patience and discipline.—
Alec Nevala-Lee
June 11,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2025
-
New York is once again home, but Arden is too much a maverick to fall into the establishment trap.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Noun
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And, of course, my fantasy went right to some kind of renegade character along the lines of Saw Gerrera.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
16 May 2025
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The director Doris Wishman was a renegade: a woman who made lurid exploitation films at a time when American underground cinema was a man’s playground.—
Erik Piepenburg,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Noun
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Set in 1992 in Aspen, Colorado, and inspired by a true story, Gonzo Girl follows Alley Russo, an aspiring writer who takes on an assistant job to the iconoclast and founder of gonzo journalism, Walker Reade.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2025
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The late 13th century paintings were whitewashed following a mid 15th-century fire at the cathedral and subsequently boxed behind woodwork by 1786, which protected them from iconoclasts and vandalization during the French Revolution.—
Francesca Aton,
ARTnews.com,
3 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heretic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretic. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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