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
Relevance
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heterodox
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
The original Brat offered a heterodox synth album and venting session dressed in pop-diva garments for normies caught in its flytrap, and Completely different reworks its source material, unraveling threads interwoven in Charli’s patchwork sound.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heterodox
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
The original Brat offered a heterodox synth album and venting session dressed in pop-diva garments for normies caught in its flytrap, and Completely different reworks its source material, unraveling threads interwoven in Charli’s patchwork sound.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heterodox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heterodox
Adjective
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Soon, the childhood acquaintances are embarking on a surveillance caper, eavesdropping on a dissident pop star (Rebecca Naomi Jones).—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
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In the weeks before that dinner, dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and the Times and other outlets reported that world leaders had come to suspect the crown prince in the murder.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This surprising mechanism suggests that scientists may be overlooking unconventional clocks across the tree of life.—
Marlowe Starling,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
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While an unconventional choice for the typically squeaky-clean Bachelor franchise, a soft-swinging TikTok influencer turned reality star at first sounded like the 180 the franchise desperately needed after years of declining ratings and a seemingly outdated format amid modern dating culture.—
Jodi Guglielmi,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Drunkenness, like madness, protects the messengers of heretical truth from disbelief, disdain, and retaliation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
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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
Adjective
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The service Service is friendly, but informal, reflecting the relaxed Malibu energy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
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That reflects poorly on the speaker, who has an informal rule that no major bill will move to the floor unless at least 60 of his chamber’s 78 Democrats support it.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 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 21 Mar. 2026.
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