heterodox

adjective

ˈhe-tə-rə-ˌdäks How to pronounce heterodox (audio)
Definition of heterodoxnext
1
as in dissident
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices a Christian clergyman with a very heterodox opinion on the divinity of Jesus

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2
as in unconventional
not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules her heterodox approach to teaching science initially met with some resistance from her peers

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heterodox In Syria, an equivalent system existed under the Assad dynasty, in which rural Alawites (a heterodox sect that emerged from Shiism) dominated the security agencies that policed a Sunni majority. — Elizabeth Tsurkov, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026 Mollino—a heterodox figure who, from the margins, influenced the trajectory of twentieth-century design—likely never spent a single night there; its existence was only discovered after his death. — Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026 At Sovereign House, Allen and Easton curated a list of heterodox, and sometimes controversial, speakers. — Emma Green, New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2025 The Free Press has won fans, and created plenty of fodder for critics, with heterodox columns and features. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heterodox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heterodox
  1. dissident
  2. unconventional
  3. heretical
  4. informal
  5. dissenting
Adjective
  • Three men were acquitted of murder Friday in the 2019 killing of Belfast journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot by a member of a dissident Irish Republican Army splinter group while covering a riot in Northern Ireland.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Five long-standing Iranian dissident groups, including PJAK, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Freedom Party, had formed an alliance, Reuters also reported.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of dissident
Adjective
  • Once regarded as one of baseball's better outfield prospects, Cameron has now taken an unconventional route back toward the majors.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Your 9th House of Higher Learning activates as the Moon conjoins unconventional Uranus there, inviting you to widen your view and experiment with a different path.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2026
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • In the 14th century, Bibles in English became associated with John Wycliffe, a priest who criticized corruption in the Catholic Church, and whose views on Holy Communion the church had declared heretical.
    — Michael Bruening, The Conversation, 30 June 2026
  • This point can sound almost heretical in modern healthcare discourse, where prevention is frequently framed as both morally superior and financially inevitable.
    — Jeffrey Wessler, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of heretical
Adjective
  • West conducted an informal poll, asking the CFOs whether the strategy function now reports to them.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 13 July 2026
  • These experts give presentations and workshops on topics like how to use a camera, light, composition, and storytelling, as well as provide informal coaching during the voyage.
    — Kristen E. Pope, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026
Definition of informal
Adjective
  • Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.
    — Elizabeth Sander, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Aug. 2022
  • 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
Definition of dissenting

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hesitation
heterodox
heterodoxies
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Cite this Entry

“Heterodox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heterodox. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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