heresy
Belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine, or any opinion at odds with accepted consensus.
Specifically implies a theological opinion that strays from official church doctrine, though figuratively used for opinions defying group consensus.
Word relationships
- heterodoxy: A formal term for holding non-standard beliefs, slightly less provocative than heresy.
- dissent: Broad disagreement with an established authority, not limited to religious doctrine.
- orthodoxy: Adherence to correct or accepted creeds and traditions.
Commonly confused with
- apostasy: Heresy is holding twisted or unapproved beliefs within a faith; apostasy is completely abandoning the religion.
Word family
- heretic (noun): A person who holds unorthodox opinions.
- heretical (adjective): Contrary to accepted doctrine or convention.
Collocations
- commit heresy
- charge of heresy
- economic heresy
- theological heresy
Example sentences
- "Galileo was tried by the Inquisition under suspicion of heresy for advocating heliocentrism." History of science
Memory hook
Heresy comes from 'choice'—heretics choose their own path instead of following established orthodoxy. Heresy = making a unauthorized choice against official doctrine.
When not to use
Do not use for complete unbelief; heresy requires holding a specific divergent opinion within a framework, whereas apostasy is leaving altogether.
Fun facts
- The Greek root hairesis is also the source of the word 'heritable', though through a completely different historical linguistic branch.
Explore more words
unorthodox, schism, dissent, doctrine, nonconformist, excommunicate
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.