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
  • Under the Soviet Union, dissident artists, poets and creators distributed their work within small, private networks, according to Ingold.
    — Miranda Huang, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Andrei Pivovarov, a dissident and former head of the Open Russia group, addressed a protest gathered outside the building.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of dissident
Adjective
  • From betting on Barbie to giving a café barista a shot, Kreiz has repeatedly embraced unconventional people and ideas.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In 2001, the architecture critic and scholar Robin Middleton bought a former tile factory on East 13th Street and remodeled it to match his unconventional life.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • This salad was a bit heretical—a hybridization of Roman puntarelle dressing and Venetian radicchios.
    — Tamar Adler, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Bell stars as heretic priest John Ball, while Garfield portrays a character called Ploughman, a grieving farmer who unintentionally finds himself in a leadership position.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of heretical
Adjective
  • Despite this informal, jam-forward approach, however, Silk Fence appear to be chasing something; an understated but steady coherence gives direction to even their most wandering moments.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In practice, that might mean designing for informal meetings as well as formal ones.
    — Brendan Castle, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of informal
Adjective
  • The Fed’s interest rate-setting committee is divided and saw the most dissenting votes in more than three decades last month.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 May 2026
  • Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.
    — Elizabeth Sander, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Aug. 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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