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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Recent Examples of heretical
People are angry’: Fear and chaos grip San Diego’s 47,000-strong federal workforce
Rady Shell summer season will include Smokey Robinson, Beck, Cynthia Erivo and the Beach Boys
Historic or heretical?
—
Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
In some communities, newer faiths, especially those that view traditional practices as heretical have weakened ties to sacred forests.
—Ogar Monday, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025
This instance of using heretical emblems or culturally inscriptive materials—often subtle or hidden—has long served as a quiet rebellion against the erasure of Black memory.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Thirst won the Jury Prize at Cannes and was nominated for the Palme d’Or, which is some great prestige for this heretical South Korean horror drama.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretical
Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
In some communities, newer faiths, especially those that view traditional practices as heretical have weakened ties to sacred forests.
—Ogar Monday, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025
This instance of using heretical emblems or culturally inscriptive materials—often subtle or hidden—has long served as a quiet rebellion against the erasure of Black memory.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Thirst won the Jury Prize at Cannes and was nominated for the Palme d’Or, which is some great prestige for this heretical South Korean horror drama.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretical
Adjective
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The spy agency tipped off an Iranian dissident group, which went public with the revelation two years later.—
Yossi Melman,
ProPublica,
7 Aug. 2025
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When an unexpected request comes from a dissident singer in hiding, his solitude and routine is broken — and so is to an extent his passivity.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In the dissenting view, the star collapses to the edge of the event horizon and then hovers there, or rebounds and explodes.—
Corey S. Powell,
Discover Magazine,
26 Feb. 2015
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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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And when goals did go in, the unconventional trajectory of the Jabulani was oddly fascinating.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
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The hero’s journey on this show is achieving their unconventional American dream.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Best Backpacking Trip Heart Lake Kick back on the pebbly beach surrounding this out-there lake for a day or two, scoping for trumpeter swans, elk, grizzlies, and wolves in the daytime hours and getting dazzled by the stargazing at night.—
Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan,
Outside Online,
3 June 2025
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Ultimately, though, I’m just not convinced this movie’s out-there ending leaves viewers with much to chew on.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heretical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretical. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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