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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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 heretic Those who don’t cling to the faith are heretics. — Kerry Jackson, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026 Now, such deities were only worshipped by witches and heretics, if at all. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026 Beguines existed on the edge of papal approval until, in 1311, the year after Marguerite died, Pope Clement V declared them heretics. — Literary Hub, 3 Dec. 2025 Giordano Bruno, a like-minded heretic, already had been just a few years earlier. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heretic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretic
  1. dissenter
  2. maverick
  3. dissident
  4. iconoclast
  5. renegade
Noun
  • The Basij boosted its presence during the war, and hard-liners have held nightly rallies in Tehran and other cities, drumming up support and intimidating any possible dissenters.
    — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Since joining the court in 2022, Jackson has become a prolific and passionate dissenter, unafraid to criticize the conservative majority even when her fellow liberal justices do not always join her.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of dissenter
Noun
  • Decades before all of that, though, Kusama was a creative maverick.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Put simply, Hanke sees Venezuela’s future as the world’s leading oil maverick that will go rogue if OPEC’s strictures prevent it from maximizing the worth of its sumptuous reserves.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of maverick
Noun
  • The dissident, Siamak Tadayon Tahmasbi, had been accused by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence of directing terrorist plots tied to Israeli intelligence.
    — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
  • As Mikhail Gorbachev became Soviet premier and promised new openness with a policy of glasnost, a slow thaw would begin toward free speech, human rights, the release of political dissidents and relaxed restrictions on emigration.
    — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of dissident
Noun
  • John Baldessari was one of the great iconoclasts of 20th century art.
    — Douglas Markowitz, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Primus’ Bay Area cult following snowballed into a deal with Virgin offshoot Caroline Records for their studio debut, 1990’s Frizzle Fry, which established Primus as irresistible genre iconoclasts.
    — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of iconoclast
Noun
  • In some ways, there is a strange kind of unity to these three—all are set during the Depression, all feature stylish renegades.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In Russell, the director found a star who could match his renegade energy.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of renegade

Browse Nearby Words

heresy
heretic
heretical
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Cite this Entry

“Heretic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretic. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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