heretic

noun

ˈher-ə-ˌtik How to pronounce heretic (audio)
Definition of hereticnext
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

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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

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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 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 In doing so, Rabelais—who was labeled a heretic and saw his books banned—fights false authority with an extravagantly crude, delightfully uncategorizable reading list of his own. — Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, 27 Dec. 2024 The point of dogma is to define and defend the borders of acceptable opinion, and brand anyone who goes outside them as quite simply a heretic. — Arianna Huffington, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024 And heretics, even if they’re not burned at the stake, are dehumanized, ostracized and denied any empathy and understanding. — Arianna Huffington, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for heretic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretic
  1. dissenter
  2. maverick
  3. renegade
  4. iconoclast
Noun
  • If House Republicans splinter into groups of dissenters, a government shutdown looms next week.
    — Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The four dissenters were Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
    — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of dissenter
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
Definition of maverick
Noun
  • Some have held him up as a renegade, choosing freedom over the comforts of domestic life.
    — Rick Rojas, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
  • To someone, the renegade and pop-culture memes might be worth a few months’ rent.
    — Hank Sanders, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Definition of renegade
Noun
  • Ever the iconoclast, Cindy Sherman carried a fur bag and wore rubber boats with her dark suit.
    — Ian Malone, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Zoom in: While some CEOs pride themselves on being collegial consensus-builders, many more like to think of themselves as daring iconoclasts, leading from the front into uncharted opportunity.
    — Felix Salmon, Axios, 16 Jan. 2025
Definition of iconoclast

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“Heretic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretic. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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