apostatize

especially British, a·pos·ta·tise

[uh-pos-tuh-tahyz]

verb (used without object)

apostatized, apostatizing 

1. to commit apostasy.

apostatize

/ əˈpɒstəˌtaɪz /

verb

1. (intr) to forsake or abandon one's belief, faith, or allegiance

Other Word Forms

• apostatism noun
• unapostatized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of apostatize¹

From the Late Latin word apostatīzāre, dating back to 1545–55. See apostate, -ize

Example Sentences

And Rorate Caeli, a traditionalist Catholic blog, claimed that “Silence” represents “renouncement of the Catholic Church by members of the Society of Jesus” due to its protagonist’s decision to apostatize.

From Washington Post

The conundrum is one that has nothing to do with Rodrigues’s decision whether to lay down his life, but with his reluctance to apostatize, even in the face of others’ deaths.

From Washington Post

In one of the more powerful sequences, three older men are hung from crosses positioned deep in the ocean’s waters - the thrashing waves killing them slowly for their refusal to apostatize.

From Washington Times

The closing scenes of his “Silence” follow Rodrigues through the decades after he apostatizes.

From New York Times

He apostatized, and seems to have betrayed the names of his penitents.

From Project Gutenberg

When To Use

What does apostatize mean?

Apostatize means to totally abandon or reject one’s religion.It can also be used in a slightly more general way to mean to totally abandon or reject one’s principles, cause, party, or other organization.The act of doing so is called apostasy, and someone who does so can be called an apostate.These words typically imply that before the rejection, one had a strong connection or involvement. They are all 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.Apostasy is sometimes used more specifically to refer to a rejection of Christianity, but apostasy and apostatize are also used in the context of other religions, such as Islam.Example: The pastor’s sermon condemned those who apostatize—the trouble is, the apostates weren’t there to hear it.