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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heretical
The lacunae in the record lead Greenblatt to sprinkle breadcrumbs of heretical thought through his tale.
—
Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
In Charlton’s world, this was serious, almost heretical, praise.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
These statements were heretical in Athens, where Anaxagoras lived.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2025
Although the French and Italian religious authorities welcomed their piety, those in Germany tended to suppress them as heretical and revolutionary.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretical
Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
In Charlton’s world, this was serious, almost heretical, praise.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
These statements were heretical in Athens, where Anaxagoras lived.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2025
Although the French and Italian religious authorities welcomed their piety, those in Germany tended to suppress them as heretical and revolutionary.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretical
Adjective
-
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
-
The government has blamed the attacks on the Jaime Martínez faction, a dissident group of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, operating in the region that did not adhere to the peace accord signed with the state in 2016.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Accessories are getting more unconventional, too.—
Lauren Fisher,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
-
In sharp contrast to the region’s traditional stone dwellings, the experimental concrete home—designed in his mid-20s with collaborators Roland Baltera and François Seigneur—stands out for its angular, unconventional form.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.—
Elizabeth Sander,
San Antonio Express-News,
19 Aug. 2022
-
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
-
As a performer, these characters are out-there.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
-
That’s why the wake is such an out-there sequence.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heretical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretical. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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