Definition of heresiarchnext
as in dissenter
a person who believes, teaches, or advocates something opposed to accepted beliefs his about-face on welfare reform has led him to be seen as a heresiarch among his party's faithful

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for heresiarch
Noun
  • The Venezuelan regime assassinated dissenters, unlawfully detained opposition leaders (such as Maria Corina Machado), and still holds political prisoners hostage.
    Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 7 Jan. 2026
  • People have been betrayed by organizations, families and religious groups, which can be harshest on their dissenters.
    Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Originally designed as a shopping mall in the 1950s, the structure was later taken over by Venezuelan authorities and turned into a detention center, especially under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, who used it to hold political prisoners and dissidents.
    Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Guerrilla organizations such as the ELN and FARC dissidents would also likely seek to preserve – and potentially expand – their control over illicit economies in any future political arrangement.
    Rebecca Hanson, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Paso Robles is independent, even a bit renegade.
    Justin Goldman, AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
  • For years, Hollywood content creators have warned about piracy, whether through bootleg VHS tapes, or BitTorrent, or renegade streaming providers.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Heresiarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heresiarch. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

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