as in dissent
departure from a generally accepted theory, opinion, or practice
the heresy of asserting that Shakespeare was not a great writer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of heresy
Before becoming pope, Benedict, a Bavarian, was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, responsible for confronting heresy.
—
Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for heresy
Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for heresy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heresy
Noun
-
The University needs—and does, in fact, tolerate—a degree of internal dissent; dissenters make the educational enterprise seem, in that romantic retrospect, legitimate.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
17 May 2025
-
Advertisement Advertisement Only two of the court’s Justices—Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas—publicly noted their dissent.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
Shalom Auslander’s literary career has been built on equal parts comedy, heterodoxy and self-loathing.—
Mark Athitakis,
Washington Post,
25 July 2024
-
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 27 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share