Synonyms of heterodox

heterodox

adjective

ˈhe-tə-rə-ˌdäks 

1

as in dissident

deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices

a Christian clergyman with a very heterodox opinion on the divinity of Jesus

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dissident
• unconventional
• heretical
• dissenting
• out-there
• iconoclastic
• nonconformist
• maverick
• separatist
• unorthodox
• dissentient
• nontraditional
• sectarian
• apostate
• nonorthodox
• schismatic
• renegade
• freethinking
• free-spirited
• defecting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• orthodox
• conventional
• conformist
• conforming

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• unconventional
• informal
• unorthodox
• unofficial
• irregular
• unauthorized
• unceremonious
• casual
• free and easy
• familiar
• relaxed
• offhand
• easygoing
• ultracasual
• lax
• loose

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• orthodox
• conventional
• regular
• formal
• routine
• ceremonial
• correct
• proper
• rigid
• ceremonious
• stiff
• restrained
• decorous
• stuffy
• inhibited
• constrained
• uptight

Example Sentences

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