as in dissent
departure from a generally accepted theory, opinion, or practice
the heresy of asserting that Shakespeare was not a great writer
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Recent Examples of heresy
Bishops, who were the heads of the central churches in cities and supported by the emperors, met together in several general – ecumenical – councils to condemn heresies and assign authority more clearly.
—
Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025
Iran would likely question the legitimacy of the Sunni regimes, accuse them of abandoning the Palestinians, and charge them with committing heresy against Islam by cooperating with Israel and the United States.
—Moshe Yaalon, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2018
In the film, Katharine secretly meets with her friend Anne, a firebrand Protestant reformer who is arrested on charges of heresy during Henry VIII’s reign and is ultimately executed.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Like Anne Boleyn and Thomas More before him, Cromwell was transported to the Tower of London, where he was imprisoned on charges of treason; heresy; and, most implausibly, conspiring to wed Henry’s daughter Mary.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heresy
Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025
Iran would likely question the legitimacy of the Sunni regimes, accuse them of abandoning the Palestinians, and charge them with committing heresy against Islam by cooperating with Israel and the United States.
—Moshe Yaalon, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2018
In the film, Katharine secretly meets with her friend Anne, a firebrand Protestant reformer who is arrested on charges of heresy during Henry VIII’s reign and is ultimately executed.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Like Anne Boleyn and Thomas More before him, Cromwell was transported to the Tower of London, where he was imprisoned on charges of treason; heresy; and, most implausibly, conspiring to wed Henry’s daughter Mary.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heresy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heresy
Noun
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Germans were supposed to align their thinking with the regime and squash any inclination toward dissent.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2025
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At home, authorities are widening and deepening systems of surveillance and control, clamping down on ethnic minorities and narrowing the space for dissent.—
RANA MITTER,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Shalom Auslander’s literary career has been built on equal parts comedy, heterodoxy and self-loathing.—
Mark Athitakis,
Washington Post,
25 July 2024
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Trump’s heterodoxy and disruptiveness provided the equivalent of an enormous natural experiment, and the results were surprising.—
Oren Cass,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Feb. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Heresy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heresy. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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