heretic

noun

her·​e·​tic ˈher-ə-ˌtik How to pronounce heretic (audio)
ˈhe-rə-
1
religion : a person who differs in opinion from established religious dogma (see dogma sense 2)
especially : a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church who refuses to acknowledge or accept a revealed truth
The church regards them as heretics.
2
: one who differs in opinion from an accepted belief or doctrine : nonconformist

Examples of heretic in a Sentence

The church regards them as heretics. Galileo was condemned as a heretic for supporting Copernicus's thesis that the earth revolves around the sun and not vice versa.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Over the last four years, Trump has intervened in GOP primaries across the country to weed out intra-party heretics in both houses of Congress. Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024 Some of the spotlighted individuals, like St. Catherine of Siena and English anchoress Julian of Norwich, were celebrated in their day as visionaries, while others, including Kempe and Joan of Arc, were persecuted as heretics. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024 After his heroics in the original, he was branded a heretic because of his unusual resistance to corruption energies. Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2024 What better way to dismiss or delegitimize the heretics than to smear them as covert members of the opposition? Pamela Paul, The Mercury News, 29 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for heretic 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English heretik, borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French heretic, heretik, borrowed from Late Latin haereticus, hereticus, borrowed from Late Greek hairetikós, from hairetikós, adjective, "departing from dogma, heretical," going back to Greek, "able to choose, due to choice," from hairetós "that may be taken, eligible, chosen," verbal adjective of haireîn "to take, grasp, (middle voice) obtain, choose, prefer" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at heresy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heretic was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near heretic

Cite this Entry

“Heretic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heretic. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

heretic

noun
her·​e·​tic ˈher-ə-ˌtik How to pronounce heretic (audio)
: a person who believes or teaches something opposed to accepted beliefs

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