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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Recent Examples of heterodox
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
White House officials disagreed that Trump’s China stance has fundamentally shifted from his first term, but did concede that the president has adopted a heterodox position compared to many of the hawks within the party.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
The restaurant’s choices, it should be noted, are heterodox.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for heterodox
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
White House officials disagreed that Trump’s China stance has fundamentally shifted from his first term, but did concede that the president has adopted a heterodox position compared to many of the hawks within the party.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
The restaurant’s choices, it should be noted, are heterodox.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for heterodox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heterodox
Adjective
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In Virginia, a dissident hinterland landowner named Nathaniel Bacon led a revolt by aggrieved Colonists that torched the English provincial capital at Jamestown.—
Peter C. Mancall,
The Conversation,
9 Jan. 2026
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After hundreds of thousands of opposition protesters took to the streets in April 2002, Chavez was briefly ousted in a coup by dissident military officers and opposition figures, who installed a new president, businessman Pedro Carmona.—
James Trapani,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Trump, much like in his first term, remains a polarizing figure, as his second presidential term has been marked by a series of unconventional actions.—
Jordan Green,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
6 Feb. 2026
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For more than four decades, Robert Kaplow has built an unconventional writing career.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This heretical policy gets some support from yet another rigid convention, that of credits, which separates directors from screenwriters.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
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That’s because The Carpenter’s Son is not only gruesomely horror-leaning, but it’s based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, which some deem heretical or even blasphemous.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
14 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Texas finished second in the rankings only behind Kentucky, which picked up all 16 first-place votes in the informal poll.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Feb. 2026
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The activity appeared to take place entirely on a public street, with agitators effectively setting up what resembled an informal checkpoint aimed at identifying or tracking federal immigration agents operating in the city.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.—
Elizabeth Sander,
San Antonio Express-News,
19 Aug. 2022
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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
Cite this Entry
“Heterodox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heterodox. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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