variants
also heretic
as in dissident
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices
the belief that women should be allowed to have careers outside the home was once considered heretical
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heretical
The lacunae in the record lead Greenblatt to sprinkle breadcrumbs of heretical thought through his tale.
—
Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
In Charlton’s world, this was serious, almost heretical, praise.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
These statements were heretical in Athens, where Anaxagoras lived.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2025
Although the French and Italian religious authorities welcomed their piety, those in Germany tended to suppress them as heretical and revolutionary.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretical
Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
In Charlton’s world, this was serious, almost heretical, praise.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
These statements were heretical in Athens, where Anaxagoras lived.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2025
Although the French and Italian religious authorities welcomed their piety, those in Germany tended to suppress them as heretical and revolutionary.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretical
Adjective
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Guerrilla groups such as Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN), dissident FARC factions and Venezuelan criminal organizations operate across mining zones, frequently imposing taxes on miners and controlling pits through violence.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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There's the dissident intelligence officer Helmuth von Moltke, a conservative who seeks to work from inside against the Nazis (he gets hanged for his trouble).—
John Powers,
NPR,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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That’s the impact Figueroa and Messmann hope to have with the boxing club and other unconventional programs at ATLAS.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
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The Cubs will need more performances like Thielbar’s over the next week or so from potentially unconventional options in key moments because of injuries that have challenged the bullpen’s depth.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.—
Elizabeth Sander,
San Antonio Express-News,
19 Aug. 2022
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The document runs to more than a hundred and fifty pages, and for each question there are affirmative and dissenting studies, as well as some that indicate mixed results.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
3 June 2022
Adjective
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That’s why the wake is such an out-there sequence.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
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But there were plenty of out-there, single-use apps, like one that dropped motorcycles from the ceiling.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heretical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretical. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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