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
  • Three men were acquitted of murder Friday in the 2019 killing of Belfast journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot by a member of a dissident Irish Republican Army splinter group while covering a riot in Northern Ireland.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Five long-standing Iranian dissident groups, including PJAK, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Freedom Party, had formed an alliance, Reuters also reported.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of dissident
Adjective
  • Once regarded as one of baseball's better outfield prospects, Cameron has now taken an unconventional route back toward the majors.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Your 9th House of Higher Learning activates as the Moon conjoins unconventional Uranus there, inviting you to widen your view and experiment with a different path.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 11 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
  • 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
  • The ballerina sneaker trend is just the latest in a line of kooky shoe creations that range from wearable to wildly out-there.
    — Aemilia Madden, Glamour, 18 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 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on heretical

Nglish: Translation of heretical for Spanish Speakers

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