heretical
adjective
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ˈhe-rə-
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Definition of heretical
1 : of or relating to adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma : characterized by heresy heretical writings
2 : of, relating to, or characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards : unorthodox It would be heretical to suggest changing company policy.
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Other Words from heretical
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adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for heretical
Synonyms
dissentient, dissenting, dissident, heterodox, iconoclastic, maverick, nonconformist, nonorthodox, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox
Antonyms
conforming, conformist, conventional, orthodox
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Examples of heretical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On February 24, 1616, the Qualifiers of the Inquisition declared heliocentrism heretical. — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, "Did Math Kill God?," 27 Apr. 2018 Perhaps most surprising, conservatives who disdained Mr. Trump and considered his views on trade, immigration and national security to be heretical are increasingly drifting toward him. — Gerald F. Seib, WSJ, "Battle for the GOP’s Soul? Trump Has Won," 22 Oct. 2018 Aghast at the heretical implications, Lorini forwarded the letter to the Inquisition in Rome on February 7, 1615. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Newly discovered letter by Galileo resolves puzzling historical mystery," 22 Sep. 2018 If you're porked out, try Frances's heretical but delicious choice — sliced turkey, hot off the pit. — Frances Bailey, Country Living, "North Carolina BBQ Road Trip Route," 7 July 2014 And, since a lot of people have an even more passionate affair with Frisch's Coke with a shot of vanilla or cherry, the exact recipe is paramount, including the soft but crunchy ice, which no one has yet been heretical enough to change. — Polly Campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Polly Campbell: Coke back at Frisch's. Here's what it means," 18 June 2018 New York Times columnist David Brooks used to be a Republican — a somewhat heretical Republican on occasion, but a GOPer nonetheless — back in the days when his perch was the Weekly Standard. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "David Brooks Wants to Bring Back the Whigs," 16 May 2018 He, and many other Southern Baptists believed (and still believe) that the ordination of women is a functionally heretical act on the part of that church. — Hännah Ettinger, Houston Chronicle, "Ending an abusive marriage is hard. Ending one in the evangelical church is harder.," 12 May 2018 Years after Pearson’s heretical vision, how does the American church reckon with those tangible evils? — Sarah Jones, The New Republic, "A Christian Awakening?," 24 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heretical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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