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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heretic
Added to that, in the eyes of Roman Catholic Europe—and many of her own subjects—the new Queen was a heretic.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Giordano Bruno, a like-minded heretic, already had been just a few years earlier.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
During the Middle Ages, the church endorsed the execution of heretics and held firm that secular authorities could and should put people to death for serious crimes.
—Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 9 July 2025
This approach demands that those who were once secular priests—the leaders of the philanthropic sector—abandon their cassocks and accept the mantle of the heretic.
—Mark Malloch-Brown, Foreign Affairs, 15 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heretic
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Giordano Bruno, a like-minded heretic, already had been just a few years earlier.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
During the Middle Ages, the church endorsed the execution of heretics and held firm that secular authorities could and should put people to death for serious crimes.
—Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 9 July 2025
This approach demands that those who were once secular priests—the leaders of the philanthropic sector—abandon their cassocks and accept the mantle of the heretic.
—Mark Malloch-Brown, Foreign Affairs, 15 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heretic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretic
Noun
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The Indian government, far more committed to democratic procedures than its Chinese counterpart, had crushed dissenters for actions far less provocative.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
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Even if no charges ultimately are filed, the attorneys contended in interviews that rooting out identities of dissenters is at the very least an intimidation tactic.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Collins is a tough campaigner who can straddle the line as reliable party player and outspoken maverick.—
Julia Terruso,
Time,
8 June 2026
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Over his career, he was described as a blunt, independent, outspoken politician who was a maverick, boat-rocker, loose cannon, skilled partisan, and, above all, political survivor.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Noun
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About seven years ago, Parviz Afshari—Sam’s father—lived in Karaj and worked for a conglomerate whose essential purpose was to confiscate private property from dissidents, ethnic minorities, and other people disfavored by the government.—
Laura Secor,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
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The Islamic Republic of Iran has accelerated its executions of dissidents and activists, with the true number of victims likely obscured by the regime’s internet censorship and blackout.—
Beth Bailey,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Her immersion into cross-cultural divinity takes root on LUX in vanguard beats, searching timbres, and a colossal, sometimes operatic voice, attuned to pop iconoclasts like Bjork (featured on LUX) and Kate Bush.—
Jenn Pelly,
Time,
4 Dec. 2025
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But Richmond’s solo work reflects his pop-rock sensibility too, and his humor and storyteller’s delivery are reminiscent of the late country-folk iconoclast Todd Snider’s.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
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People didn’t come to the series with a working knowledge of the State Department, ready to see what the renegades were like.—
Debora Cahn,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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Young Julian might also be surprised by how your Corpus crew, which started kind of like a renegade group of friends, now has real community impact.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heretic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretic. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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