heretic

[n. her-i-tik; adj. her-i-tik, huh-ret-ik] /n. ˈhɛr ɪ tɪk; adj. ˈhɛr ɪ tɪk, həˈrɛt ɪk/
noun
1.
a professed believer who maintains religious opinions contrary to those accepted by his or her church or rejects doctrines prescribed by that church.
2.
Roman Catholic Church. a baptized Roman Catholic who willfully and persistently rejects any article of faith.
3.
anyone who does not conform to an established attitude, doctrine, or principle.
adjective
4.
heretical.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English heretik < Middle French heretique < Late Latin haereticus < Greek hairetikós able to choose (Late Greek: heretical), equivalent to hairet(ós) that may be taken (verbal adjective of haireîn to choose) + -ikos -ic
Related forms
semiheretic, adjective, noun
Synonyms
1. apostate, backslider, recreant, protestant. 3. dissenter, skeptic, freethinker.
Examples from the web for heretic
  • The church burned him at the stake as a heretic.
  • As a heretic he could not be given a proper church burial.
  • Church leaders, who have labeled Headley a heretic, dispute his story and say he was an incompetent troublemaker.
  • Today he's deemed a heretic of the worst kind.
  • In short, she was what the true believers always have called a heretic.
  • Mark me a heretic, with a bold red pen.
  • The pair become embroiled in a scandal when a monk labels her character a heretic.
  • The latter is sure to bring out heretic hunting and charges of hypocrisy.
  • And before you denounce me as a heretic and slam your computer shut in a fit of pique, hear me out on this one.
  • Anyone who can actually think for themselves must, therefore, be a heretic to the faith.
British Dictionary definitions for heretic

heretic

/ˈhɛrətɪk/
noun
1.
(mainly RC Church) a person who maintains beliefs contrary to the established teachings of the Church
2.
a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field
Derived Forms
heretical (hɪˈrɛtɪkəl) adjective
heretically, adverb
Word Origin and History for heretic
n.

mid-14c., from Old French eretique (14c., Modern French hérétique), from Church Latin haereticus, from Greek hairetikos "able to choose," the verbal adjective of hairein (see heresy).

heretic in Culture

heretic definition


One who challenges the doctrines of an established church. Martin Luther was proclaimed a heretic for rejecting many of the tenets of the Roman Catholic Church.