heretical

adjective

hə-ˈre-ti-kəl How to pronounce heretical (audio)
variants also heretic
Definition of hereticalnext
as in dissident
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices the belief that women should be allowed to have careers outside the home was once considered heretical

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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 heretical Drunkenness, like madness, protects the messengers of heretical truth from disbelief, disdain, and retaliation. — Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026 This heretical policy gets some support from yet another rigid convention, that of credits, which separates directors from screenwriters. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026 That’s because The Carpenter’s Son is not only gruesomely horror-leaning, but it’s based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, which some deem heretical or even blasphemous. — Barry Levitt, Time, 14 Nov. 2025 Another option is to be a bit heretical. — Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heretical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretical
  1. dissident
  2. unconventional
  3. dissenting
  4. out-there
Adjective
  • On July 19, Cuban artist and dissident Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara arrived in Miami after a period when his whereabouts remained unknown following his release from Guanajay Prison.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 21 July 2026
  • The dissident Bull Moose Party nominated former President Teddy Roosevelt for president after Republicans declined to do so.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 21 July 2026
Definition of dissident
Adjective
  • Halsey takes an unconventional approach to a button-up top at Guizo’s new flagship store in Los Angeles on July 23.
    — People Staff, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
  • Environmental regulations were already in place in 2008 when the unconventional Marcellus Shale gas boom began, but conventional drilling dates to the Drake well in 1859 – long before modern environmental oversight existed.
    — Nathaniel Warner, The Conversation, 24 July 2026
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.
    — Elizabeth Sander, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Aug. 2022
  • The document runs to more than a hundred and fifty pages, and for each question there are affirmative and dissenting studies, as well as some that indicate mixed results.
    — The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 3 June 2022
Definition of dissenting
Adjective
  • Guitarist Adam Turay and trumpeter Ryan Easter both come from the jazzier side of the tracks, the former playing with Afro-R&B group the Narcotix, the latter with more out-there units like WRENS.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
  • The classic straight-leg silhouette is relaxed throughout, providing ease and movement to the style, balancing the more out-there design details.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 28 June 2026
Definition of out-there

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heretical
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Cite this Entry

“Heretical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretical. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on heretical

Nglish: Translation of heretical for Spanish Speakers

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