variants
also heretic
as in dissident
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices
the belief that women should be allowed to have careers outside the home was once considered heretical
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 heretical
These heretical questions are worth asking, because industry bandwidth tracking data has lately been revealing something surprising: Terrestrial and mobile-data growth is slowing down.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 9 Feb. 2025
Al-Assad was part of the Alawite community, a group seen as heretical by some opposition fighters.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 8 Dec. 2024
Cities Start to Question an American Ideal: A House With a Yard on Every Lot
Single-family zoning is practically gospel in America, but a number of officials across the country are starting to make seemingly heretical moves.
Sept. 2019
56.
—The Upshot Staff, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024
That conclusion, supported by the highly respected and circumspect Collins, was considered heretical.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heretical
IEEE Spectrum, 9 Feb. 2025
Al-Assad was part of the Alawite community, a group seen as heretical by some opposition fighters.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 8 Dec. 2024
Cities Start to Question an American Ideal: A House With a Yard on Every Lot
Single-family zoning is practically gospel in America, but a number of officials across the country are starting to make seemingly heretical moves.
Sept. 2019
56.
—The Upshot Staff, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024
That conclusion, supported by the highly respected and circumspect Collins, was considered heretical.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for heretical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretical
Adjective
-
He’d been allowed through the security checkpoint to attend a session given by a professor at the university, a Tunisian dissident and political exile, a specialist in the liberation movements of the Global South.—
David Bezmozgis,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Rumors about an investigation against He first surfaced among the Chinese dissident community following China’s annual political meetings last month.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In the dissenting view, the star collapses to the edge of the event horizon and then hovers there, or rebounds and explodes.—
Corey S. Powell,
Discover Magazine,
26 Feb. 2015
-
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
Adjective
-
These unconventional or niche markets—whether they’re built around specific lifestyles, cultural shifts, unique services, or underserved consumer segments—can offer less competition, more loyal customers, and a sharper opportunity to stand out.—
Rhett Power,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Turn a Closet into a Book Nook In this bedroom, as well as the other two in the house, Allison made the unconventional decision to remove the closets.—
Amy Panos,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Every decade in fact seems to have had its own rabble-rouser whose shunning of norms have pushed the medium further and further, even if their own material was too out-there to gain a wide audience.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
28 Mar. 2025
-
An out-there premise, for sure, but one that has so far worked out better than anyone had a right to expect.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heretical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretical. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share