Definition of apostate
: one who commits apostasy
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Examples of apostate in a Sentence
an apostate from communism, he later became one of its harshest critics
became an apostate to liberalism after he had gotten wealthy
Recent Examples of apostate from the Web
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Afghanistan is home to a powerful Islamic State affiliate that has repeatedly targeted Shiites, who the extremists view as apostates deserving of death.
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The Shiite Turkmens had erected walls because the Islamic State jihadis, who adhere to a strict Sunni doctrine, believe Shiites are apostates who should be killed.
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The sudden arrival of a new class of tech skeptic, the industry apostate, has only complicated the discussion.
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And some leave their hometown to fly the black flag of ISIS in Syria, perhaps beheading a few apostates or raping and enslaving some Yazidis.
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Iran has eagerly supported the militantly secular PKK, the Sunni Islamists of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and even Salafi extremists like al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Islam, who see the Shiites as apostates who should be killed.
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Again the Falcons enraptured the nation, becoming the favorite team for other franchise’s apostates and Madden video game players.
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In response to Iran’s crackdown, Islamist State militants have renewed calls for more bloodshed against Iran’s Shiite majority, which the group views as apostates who should be killed.
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Ultraconservative Sunni clerics in Saudi Arabia have in the past referred to Shiites as apostates, and Shiite protesters have been accused of being allied with the kingdom’s rival, Iran.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'apostate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of apostate
apostate Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Words
betrayer, double-crosser, quisling, traitor, traitress (or traitoress), turnabout, turncoat;
defier, insurgent, insurrectionary, insurrectionist, mutineer, rebel, red, revolter, revolutionary, revolutionist;
Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms
Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra
APOSTATE Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of apostate for English Language Learners
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: someone whose beliefs have changed and who no longer belongs to a religious or political group
Learn More about apostate
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See words that rhyme with apostate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for apostate Spanish Central: Translation of apostate Nglish: Translation of apostate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of apostate for Arabic speakers
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