1
as in dissenter
a person who believes, teaches, or advocates something opposed to accepted beliefs
Galileo was condemned as a heretic for supporting Copernicus's thesis that the earth revolves around the sun and not vice versa
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in maverick
a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs
he's the ultimate heretic: a Yankees fan living deep in the heart of the Red Sox Nation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heretic
The show is set in 15th century Europe at a time of inquisition, a time when heretics are burned at the stake and it is essentially forbidden to look at the stars.
—
Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2025
By 1120, the church council in Jerusalem ordered that sodomites, like heretics, be burned at the stake.
—S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
The witch in question is Jovovich’s Gray Alys, introduced on the brink of being hanged as a heretic by Ash (Arly Jover), a fervent enforcer in a dystopian future ruled by both a royal house and cult-like church.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025
And heretics, even if they’re not burned at the stake, are dehumanized, ostracized and denied any empathy and understanding.
—Arianna Huffington, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heretic
Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2025
By 1120, the church council in Jerusalem ordered that sodomites, like heretics, be burned at the stake.
—S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
The witch in question is Jovovich’s Gray Alys, introduced on the brink of being hanged as a heretic by Ash (Arly Jover), a fervent enforcer in a dystopian future ruled by both a royal house and cult-like church.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025
And heretics, even if they’re not burned at the stake, are dehumanized, ostracized and denied any empathy and understanding.
—Arianna Huffington, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heretic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretic
Noun
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Norman also said the bill should be adjusted to enact work requirements for childless Medicaid recipients without disabilities earlier than 2029, as the existing legislation proposes, while other Republican dissenters cited the need to more quickly eliminate Biden-era clean energy tax credits.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
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However, that still requires all Republicans to vote together on the bill, and just a couple of dissenters can derail the entire effort.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 May 2025
Noun
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His legendary predecessor Sachin Tendulkar, an almost god-like figure in India, and Australian maverick Shane Warne, who lived a life of glitz and glamor, were similarly box office and, quite frankly, better Test cricketers.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
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Around 2016, a poem about the Black polar explorer Matthew Henson by her friend Robin Coste Lewis—another maverick of the archives—helped inspire a series of paintings about the Arctic, which flood its frozen landscapes with electric blues.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Noun
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His band of renegades is deeply committed to their mission and the members enjoy working together to overcome obstacles.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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Sure enough, the red-haired renegade formerly known as Sin Rostro played another troublemaker on the ABC procedural.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Chicago will be the only U.S. city to see the 92-year-old iconoclast Yoko Ono's new show.—
Carrie Shepherd,
Axios,
1 Apr. 2025
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Season eight’s unapologetic iconoclast, Acid Betty, returns to the competition to kick ass and take names.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heretic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretic. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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