apostate

American  

[uh-pos-teyt, -tit] / əˈpɒs teɪt, -tɪt /

noun

1. a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc.

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adjective

1. of or characterized by apostasy.

apostate British  

/ ˌæpəˈstætɪkəl, əˈpɒsteɪt, -tɪt /

noun

1. a person who abandons his religion, party, cause, etc

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adjective

1. guilty of apostasy

Usage

What does apostate mean? An apostate is someone who has totally abandoned or rejected their religion.It can also be used in a slightly more general way to refer to someone who has totally abandoned or rejected their principles, cause, party, or other organization.The word typically implies that before the rejection, one had a strong connection or involvement.The act of such abandoning or rejecting is called apostasy. Both apostasy and apostate are usually used in a way that’s critical of such abandonment—or that at least implies that others who remain in the religion or cause are critical of the departure.Apostate is sometimes used more specifically to refer to someone who rejects Christianity, but the term is also used in the context of other religions, such as Islam.Less commonly, apostate can be used as an adjective meaning guilty of apostasy or characterized by apostasy, as in He was condemned for his apostate writings. Example: The pastor’s sermon condemned apostasy—the trouble is, the apostates weren’t there to hear it.

Other Word Forms

• apostatical adjective
• apostatically adverb

Etymology

Origin of apostate

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Late Latin apostata, from Greek apostátēs, equivalent to apósta(sis) apostasy + -tēs, noun suffix

Example Sentences

Shiites are a minority in predominant Sunni Muslim Pakistan, where extremist Sunni Muslims view them as apostates deserving of death.

From Washington Times

As for the murder charge, Swedish prosecutors said Noury is suspected of “intentionally killing, together with other perpetrators, a large number of prisoners who sympathized with various left-wing groups and who were regarded as apostates.”

From Seattle Times

Cardinal Raymond Burke, a leading conservative, went so far as to suggest that the church label such politicians as apostates, which would entail the denial of sacraments.

From Fox News

The militant group in its statement said the minivan was carrying “Shiite apostates.”

From Seattle Times

Republican leaders are focusing their attention instead on apostate Republicans, who are political dissidents in their own right and thus targeted victims of exile.

From Washington Post