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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Recent Examples of heretic
The stake, with the hooded heretic, the black man or the witch attached to it, is the burning tree and body of the infernal world.
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John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
Few within his party want to get crosswise with Trump, who has a history of humiliating heretics.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 31 May 2024
Such behavior resulted in Pope Innocent III’s papal push to exterminate these heretics—leading to a slaughter of between a quarter and a million Cathars in the 13th century during the Albigensian crusade.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
The heathen is the enemy, but the heretic is something worse, a traitor.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 11 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heretic 
John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
Few within his party want to get crosswise with Trump, who has a history of humiliating heretics.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 31 May 2024
Such behavior resulted in Pope Innocent III’s papal push to exterminate these heretics—leading to a slaughter of between a quarter and a million Cathars in the 13th century during the Albigensian crusade.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
The heathen is the enemy, but the heretic is something worse, a traitor.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 11 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heretic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretic
Noun
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The lone dissenter is Von, who seems somewhat interested in soliciting multiple perspectives.Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
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Roberts in his majority opinion said the dissenters had gone too far in saying the president is above the law.Patrick Marley, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
Noun
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The only domestic distributor to step in with an offer to release The Apprentice was Tom Ortenberg’s maverick indie outfit Briarcliff Entertainment.Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
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Bringing in bigger names from outside the club also carries a greater degree of risk — unorthodox, maverick methods tend to make for an awkward fit.James McNicholas, The Athletic, 7 Aug. 2024
Noun
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Draped in a black leather vest and pants, while sporting dark shades and a bucket hat, the reggaetón renegade exuded rugged charisma.Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
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Still, a new report in a U.K. news outlet suggests that Harry and his American wife Meghan, renegade members of the British royal family who’ve been living in California, have decided to try and regain a foothold in Europe by buying a home in Portugal.Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Who’s to say otherwise? Co-directed by the Canadian iconoclast with his collaborators Evan and Galen Johnson (the former of whom wrote the script), Rumours quickly introduces its international septet in broad, character-tic-heavy sketches.David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2024
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In many ways, Arana is an iconoclast, and a distinguished career actor who rarely gives interviews.Alan Friedman, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near heretic
Cite this Entry
“Heretic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretic. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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