1
as in dissenters
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 mavericks
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
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Recent Examples of heretics
As Democratic heretics go, Representative Dan Goldman isn’t guilty of many crimes against his party.
—
Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Those who don’t cling to the faith are heretics.
—Kerry Jackson, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
Among those applauding at the end was Carmen Chaplin, one of the director’s granddaughters, and even heretics, whose faith in Chaplin is fickle, will have been swept along.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 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
Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Those who don’t cling to the faith are heretics.
—Kerry Jackson, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
Among those applauding at the end was Carmen Chaplin, one of the director’s granddaughters, and even heretics, whose faith in Chaplin is fickle, will have been swept along.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretics
Noun
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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
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Their comments triggered a deluge of backlash from the media and fans alike; their songs were pulled from country radio stations; the band was jeered at during live appearances; and some dissenters even took to destroying their CDs.—
Jaeden Pinder,
Rolling Stone,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Carl Anka Trent Alexander-Arnold’s England career is a fascinating case study in why team sports can prefer the orthodox to the mavericks.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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The confluence at Black Mountain of émigré artists like Josef and Anni Albers with homegrown mavericks like John Cage and Buckminster Fuller (who constructed his first geodesic dome there) marked an early flowering of this mode of learning, which was still in fine health decades later.—
Christopher Benfey,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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What once seemed like an agitator railing against the system has become a gatekeeper crushing dissidents under his thumb.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
29 May 2026
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That’s pushed some Chinese dissidents toward more unconventional escape routes, instead of travelling through neighboring countries such as Vietnam or Thailand, which have a mixed record on protecting Chinese dissidents.—
Yoonjung Seo,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Tempo’s ascendence and corporate partnerships are indicative of a larger trend where well-heeled, corporate firms—from Robinhood to Stripe—are making their way into blockchain, traditionally the territory of anti-establishmentarians and iconoclasts.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
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The women in her stories feel profound, distinct uncertainty toward convention—less as iconoclasts than fierce individuals.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
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At least Guillén still speaks his mind on the Sox’s pre- and postgame shows, so maybe there’s hope for nonconformists after all.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heretics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretics. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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