variants
also heretic
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heretical
These statements were heretical in Athens, where Anaxagoras lived.
—
Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2025
Although the French and Italian religious authorities welcomed their piety, those in Germany tended to suppress them as heretical and revolutionary.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
The Druze religion, which grew out of Shiite Islam and has its own unique beliefs and practices, is considered heretical.
—Hadeel Oueis, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
Church leaders understood these views to be heretical or pagan, reflecting pride and a lack of gratitude to God.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretical
Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2025
Although the French and Italian religious authorities welcomed their piety, those in Germany tended to suppress them as heretical and revolutionary.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
The Druze religion, which grew out of Shiite Islam and has its own unique beliefs and practices, is considered heretical.
—Hadeel Oueis, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
Church leaders understood these views to be heretical or pagan, reflecting pride and a lack of gratitude to God.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretical
Adjective
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The recipient was the dissident theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who had been imprisoned several months earlier, on account of his opposition to the Nazi regime.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
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Among them were 17 members of the Iranian dissident organization Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK).—
Beth Bailey,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Washington — The Federal Reserve’s newest policymaker has an unconventional perspective on the US economy that’s proving tough to sell.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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Barr’s unconventional campaign, meant to make an argument against gerrymandering producing deeply partisan districts, made national headlines.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.—
Elizabeth Sander,
San Antonio Express-News,
19 Aug. 2022
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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
Adjective
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That group — which also included voices from prominent genre brands like Vinegar Syndrome, Fangoria, MPI Media, Alter, and more — toasted not just the scariest cinema but the most out-there media of all kinds.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
21 Oct. 2025
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Every Tuesday, a corner of the Mezquitán market turns into a massive secondhand clothing bazaar, with heaps of statement vintage finds and out-there patterned fabrics spread out over long tables.—
David Shortell,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heretical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretical. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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