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
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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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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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In August 2020 Russian dissident Alexei Navalny became seriously ill on a flight to Moscow, and tests later confirmed that he had been exposed to Novichok.—
Nick Tabor,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Part of a wave of dissident departures, Carvajal’s defection was akin to a dam breaking, then-US Senator Marco Rubio said at the time.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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At first glance, the pairing might seem like an unconventional one, even though both artists are well known for appropriating others’ images.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
8 May 2026
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The country’s ability to credibly threaten commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz actually hinges on multiple layers of cheap and unconventional warfare systems – drones, mines and a fleet of small attack boats, which are harder to detect than traditional naval assets.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
8 May 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 pair of town hall meetings hosted by law firms operating under the name PFAS Georgia turned out nearly 1,000 people and served as an informal campaign stop for about a dozen political candidates — a nod to the grassroots outrage over the topic.—
DYLAN JACKSON,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
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If that window closes without agreement, an informal arbitration process commences — conducted under WGA auspices, conducted by phone, and conducted fast.—
George Heller,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 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 10 May. 2026.
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