heresy

noun

her·​e·​sy ˈher-ə-sē 

ˈhe-rə-

plural heresies

1

a

: adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma (see dogma sense 2)

They were accused of heresy.

b

: denial of a revealed truth by a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church

c

: an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma

2

a

: dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice

To disagree with the party leadership was heresy.

b

: an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards

our democratic heresy which holds that … truth is to be found by majority vote

—M. W. Straight

Synonyms

• dissent
• dissidence
• heterodoxy
• nonconformity

Examples of heresy in a Sentence

They were accused of heresy.

He was preaching dangerous heresies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Monica was venerated by the Catholic Church after curing her son, Augustine of Hippo, of heresy. —Matt Thompson, Spin, 10 Sep. 2023

Their most famous English translator was executed for heresy. —A.o. Scott, New York Times, 21 June 2023

Democrats are responding to this turnabout by calling for Mr. Brown to be fired for heresy. —The Editorial Board, wsj.com, 14 May 2023

With the Catholic faction on the rise once more, reformers being burned for heresy, and those close to the king vying for position, Katherine's survival seems unlikely. —Town & Country, 28 Apr. 2023

And once again he was called before the Inquisition—this time he was found guilty of heresy. —Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 19 June 2023

The Catholic Church, fearing such a finding undermined the supreme authority of the Bible, charged him with heresy. —Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2018

Galileo paid for this later in life when the Catholic Church accused him of heresy, but happily, there’s no such penalty for you now. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 2 June 2023

Sign up If the closing of these gathering places was unpopular with the eugenics crowd, Abbott’s statewide mask mandate during the first summer of the pandemic was absolute heresy. —Ana Marie Cox, The New Republic, 17 Apr. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English heresie, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed (with assimilation to the suffix -ie -y entry 2) from Late Latin haeresis, heresis "school (of philosophy or theology), sect, belief contrary to church dogma," borrowed from Greek haíresis "act of taking, choice, course of action or thought, system of principles, sect, faction," from haireîn "to take, grasp, (middle voice) obtain, choose, prefer" (of obscure origin) + -sis -sis

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

heresy

noun

her·​e·​sy ˈher-ə-sē 

plural heresies

1

: religious opinion that is opposed to the doctrines of a church

2

: opinion that is opposed to a generally accepted belief