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
The company descended into a form of professional wrestling madness as storylines no longer made sense, with the curtain frequently pulled back to expose pro wrestling in a way that was heresy to many longtime fans.
—
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
The Inquisition was created to combat heresy in Spain and maintain Catholic Orthodoxy but was a mask for Spain to consolidate power through brutal and violent means.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for heresy
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
The Inquisition was created to combat heresy in Spain and maintain Catholic Orthodoxy but was a mask for Spain to consolidate power through brutal and violent means.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for heresy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heresy
Noun
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Machado went into hiding after the Venezuelan government moved to crush dissent following last year’s election.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
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Tightening and securing America's borders is so core to the nationalist-populist MAGA project that there can be little room in the coalition for much dissent.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 2025.
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