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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heretic
Added to that, in the eyes of Roman Catholic Europe—and many of her own subjects—the new Queen was a heretic.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
While many European nations and Canada do subject hateful or vaguely threatening speech to sanctions, ours is a rough and tumble nation born of the Boston Tea Party and settled by Pilgrims, who were heretics of their time.
—Marc Levin, Twin Cities, 7 Oct. 2025
Giordano Bruno, a like-minded heretic, already had been just a few years earlier.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
This approach demands that those who were once secular priests—the leaders of the philanthropic sector—abandon their cassocks and accept the mantle of the heretic.
—Mark Malloch-Brown, Foreign Affairs, 15 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heretic
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
While many European nations and Canada do subject hateful or vaguely threatening speech to sanctions, ours is a rough and tumble nation born of the Boston Tea Party and settled by Pilgrims, who were heretics of their time.
—Marc Levin, Twin Cities, 7 Oct. 2025
Giordano Bruno, a like-minded heretic, already had been just a few years earlier.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
This approach demands that those who were once secular priests—the leaders of the philanthropic sector—abandon their cassocks and accept the mantle of the heretic.
—Mark Malloch-Brown, Foreign Affairs, 15 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heretic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretic
Noun
-
Serious or not, secession — or independence, as some prefer to call it — has long been the dream of dissenters, of the discontented and those who feel put upon or politically unrepresented.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The Supreme Court has a lone dissenter, gas prices spike, and the World Cup is missing an icon.—
Melinda Yao,
NBC news,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This isn’t the first time Tecovas has taken a maverick position.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
3 Mar. 2026
-
In 1992, Ross Perot ran as a maverick presidential candidate on one major issue, the peril of huge debts, deficits and especially interest payments that were devouring the budget and leaving less and less money for the retirees, health care and defense.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Shailin and her siblings come from a family of dissidents who have long hoped to see the government fall.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Russian dissident Leonid Volkov reported receiving one of the phishing emails.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In an op-ed for Nikkei, a former lawmaker and one-time spokesperson for the previous Taiwanese president warned that the island — which China claims as a renegade province — was not doing enough to strengthen its energy independence and defense capabilities in the face of mainland pressure.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Not all marketing The renegade spirit isn't all clever marketing.—
Chloe Veltman,
NPR,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast?—
Shafiq Najib,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
But, more intriguingly, the often shape-shifting iconoclast will be trying on what promises to be a new or at least evolved musical style.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heretic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretic. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
