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
At a small crossroads in southern France, in the 13th century, Dominic de Guzman, a holy man, recognized the necessity for sanctuary for women who rejected heresy and were in danger, according to the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids.
—
Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 2 July 2025
Even rarefied, specialized brands like Ferrari and Rolls-Royce sell sport-utes these days, a concept that would have seemed like heresy in the year 2000.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 5 June 2025
The last Pope Leo was also known for promoting Marian devotion, confronting modernist heresy, and, like Benedict XVI, promoting the compatibility of faith with human reason.
—The Editors, National Review, 8 May 2025
Before Francis, anonymous denunciations and heresy trials were painfully common.
—Austen Ivereigh, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heresy
Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 2 July 2025
Even rarefied, specialized brands like Ferrari and Rolls-Royce sell sport-utes these days, a concept that would have seemed like heresy in the year 2000.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 5 June 2025
The last Pope Leo was also known for promoting Marian devotion, confronting modernist heresy, and, like Benedict XVI, promoting the compatibility of faith with human reason.
—The Editors, National Review, 8 May 2025
Before Francis, anonymous denunciations and heresy trials were painfully common.
—Austen Ivereigh, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heresy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heresy
Noun
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The conservative majority ruled 6-3 to overturn the ruling, with Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson also joining the dissent.—
Andrew Stanton
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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From that point forward, Kennedy pushed the people around him to question assumptions and voice dissent before major decisions.—
Lindsay Phillips,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 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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Historians have put forward theories which emphasized the (overstated) isolation of the province, its religious heterodoxy, and, most compellingly, its lack of the kind of 17th-century political traditions that colonists in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia drew on for support.—
Alexandra L. Montgomery,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 July 2021
Cite this Entry
“Heresy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heresy. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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