Definition of heresy
heresies
1a : adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma (see dogma 2) They were accused of heresy.b : denial of a revealed truth by a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Churchc : an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma
2a : dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice To disagree with the party leadership was heresy.b : an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards our democratic heresy which holds that … truth is to be found by majority vote — M. W. Straight
From the M-W Editors
Examples of heresy in a Sentence
They were accused of heresy.
He was preaching dangerous heresies.
Recent Examples of heresy from the Web
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Mr. Brooks said the thought of him slowing down in older age is heresy.
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Believing that the PSP would be anything other than an unqualified success amounted to heresy.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heresy'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of heresy
Middle English heresie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin haeresis, from Late Greek hairesis, from Greek, action of taking, choice, sect, from hairein to take
First Known Use: 13th century
Other Christian Religious Terms
HERESY Defined for English Language Learners
heresy
playDefinition of heresy for English Language Learners
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: a belief or opinion that does not agree with the official belief or opinion of a particular religion
HERESY Defined for Kids
heresy
playDefinition of heresy for Students
heresies
1 : the holding of religious beliefs opposed to church doctrine : such a belief
2 : belief or opinion opposed to a generally accepted view It's heresy in my family to not love baseball.
Learn More about heresy
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See words that rhyme with heresy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for heresy Spanish Central: Translation of heresy Nglish: Translation of heresy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of heresy for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heresy
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