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 first is that those who advocate it, even in the mildest terms, are threatened with death as heretics or apostates.
—
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2015
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
His 1559 index counted any books written by people the church deemed heretics – anyone not speaking dogma, in the widest sense.
—Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
His 1559 index counted any books written by people the church deemed heretics – anyone not speaking dogma, in the widest sense.
—Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretic
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2015
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
His 1559 index counted any books written by people the church deemed heretics – anyone not speaking dogma, in the widest sense.
—Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
His 1559 index counted any books written by people the church deemed heretics – anyone not speaking dogma, in the widest sense.
—Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretic
Noun
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The leader of the Catholic Church in southeast Michigan has abruptly fired three professors at a Detroit seminary who were critical of Pope Francis, the latest move by Archbishop of Detroit Edward Weisenburger that cracks down on conservative dissenters.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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When supporters of the old Anglican order sought to impose a new church tax in 1784, dissenters reacted with outrage.—
Time,
Time,
10 July 2025
Noun
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In 1972, American maverick Bobby Fischer first breached the frontier by winning the world championship at the height of the Cold War.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
5 Aug. 2025
-
In the Wild West, mavericks, often rebellious individuals — played enormous roles.—
Jim Martin,
Denver Post,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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And, of course, my fantasy went right to some kind of renegade character along the lines of Saw Gerrera.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
16 May 2025
-
The director Doris Wishman was a renegade: a woman who made lurid exploitation films at a time when American underground cinema was a man’s playground.—
Erik Piepenburg,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Noun
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Just milk, chocolate syrup and seltzer, though iconoclasts argue that vanilla syrup is acceptable, too.—
Liza Weisstuch,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 June 2025
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The iconoclast behind SpaceX, Tesla, DOGE and more set out to incorporate the area around his Starship rocket launch facility near what was previously known as Boca Chica beach and village over four years ago.—
Eric Mack,
Forbes.com,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heretic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretic. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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