1
as in dissenter
a person who believes, teaches, or advocates something opposed to accepted beliefs
Galileo was condemned as a heretic for supporting Copernicus's thesis that the earth revolves around the sun and not vice versa
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in maverick
a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs
he's the ultimate heretic: a Yankees fan living deep in the heart of the Red Sox Nation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heretic
By 1120, the church council in Jerusalem ordered that sodomites, like heretics, be burned at the stake.
—
S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
But both creeds share the fate of being treated as heretics by the Sunnis.
—Halil Karaveli, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2012
The Minervois is a sunny land of black truffles, red marble, oak and juniper forests and castles constructed by Cathars (pescatarian Christians who disdained the symbol of the cross, were branded as heretics and subsequently slaughtered wholesale by Papal decree in the 13th century).
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
But a traditional creamy trifle will feature layers of bananas, a vanilla pudding or custard, Nilla wafers (daring heretics might use sponge cake) and then whipped cream or even a meringue.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heretic
S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
But both creeds share the fate of being treated as heretics by the Sunnis.
—Halil Karaveli, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2012
The Minervois is a sunny land of black truffles, red marble, oak and juniper forests and castles constructed by Cathars (pescatarian Christians who disdained the symbol of the cross, were branded as heretics and subsequently slaughtered wholesale by Papal decree in the 13th century).
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
But a traditional creamy trifle will feature layers of bananas, a vanilla pudding or custard, Nilla wafers (daring heretics might use sponge cake) and then whipped cream or even a meringue.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heretic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretic
Noun
-
Trump administration live updates Both Trump and Musk have threatened to primary dissenters in the party.—
Benjamin Siegel,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Series creator Dan Erickson and his team studied the ways corporate and government whistleblowers have been treated by these entities in real life — dissenters are first fought, and then made to assimilate, Erickson noted.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Further reading: Trump wants to end this GOP maverick’s political career.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Since the Second World War, the United States has exercised de-facto military control over Greenland, thanks to the maverick diplomat Henrik Kauffmann, who, as Denmark’s envoy to Washington in 1941, granted the U.S. control over its security.—
Louise Bokkenheuser,
The New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The renegades were attempting to void the ACC’s grant-of-rights agreement, which would clear them to join the SEC or Big Ten.—
Jon Wilner,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Sports Illustrated even called for UM to disband what was seen then as a renegade football program led by a coach playing by his own rules.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Historically, his efforts to advance more climate-friendly technologies, his socially liberal stances, and his entrepreneurship positioned him as a likable iconoclast by broad swathes of the population.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Even as Republicans embrace him as an iconoclast, Democrats and other critics have lambasted Kennedy as a know-nothing without the scientific or bureaucratic experience to do the job effectively.—
Vox Staff,
Vox,
7 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heretic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretic. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share