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
She was found guilty of heresy and sorcery in 1441.
—
Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
In this way, Paul turned the heresy of a tiny sect of Messianic Jews into the dominant religious and cultural architecture of the West for the next couple of thousand years.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Any challenge to gun rights was immediate heresy, disqualifying in any measure.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
When something is so embedded in our routines, even a small shift can feel like heresy.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heresy
Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
In this way, Paul turned the heresy of a tiny sect of Messianic Jews into the dominant religious and cultural architecture of the West for the next couple of thousand years.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Any challenge to gun rights was immediate heresy, disqualifying in any measure.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
When something is so embedded in our routines, even a small shift can feel like heresy.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heresy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heresy
Noun
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In a blistering dissent, the court’s Democratic justices said the ruling opened the door to allowing Louisiana lawmakers to subvert the will of voters.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
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The Justice Department probably shouldn’t have ignored the dissent of former Judge Janice Rogers Brown in Keepseagle.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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But Dhillon’s apparent moderation during that time might also be read as a different way of communicating the same underlying heterodoxy from her Review days.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Heresy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heresy. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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