apostatize
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of apostatize
From the Late Latin word apostatīzāre, dating back to 1545–55. See apostate, -ize
Explanation
To apostatize is to give up a belief. Your best friend may do her best to sway you to change your basketball allegiance from the Celtics to the Lakers, but you refuse to apostatize. When someone renounces their religious principles, leaving one faith for another or ceasing to believe at all, they apostatize. The Latin root, apostata, means "one who forsakes religion or faith." This is the most common way to use this verb, but it also works well for changes in political belief: "I never thought he'd apostatize, but he's now a registered Democrat."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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 ● Jan. 5, 2017
A man may also apostatize from God, by rebelling in his mind against the Divine commandments: and though man may apostatize in both the above ways, he may still remain united to God by faith.
From Summa Theologica, Part II-II (Secunda Secundae) Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province by Thomas, Aquinas, Saint
By backsliding is meant the gradual turning back or away from God; to apostatize.
From The Gospel Day Or, the Light of Christianity by Orr, Charles Ebert
But his wife and one of his daughters refused to apostatize with him.
From The Huguenots in France by Smiles, Samuel
The upshot was that he advised Nathan not to apostatize too suddenly.
From A Daughter of Eve by Balzac, Honoré de
The first is the view of some of the Manichean teachers, that spirits were embodied by a hostile violence and cunning, the force and fraud of the apostatized Devil.
From The Destiny of the Soul A Critical History of the Doctrine of a Future Life by Alger, William Rounseville
"Father," said Ben with a sigh, "I know that many people here in Boston think I never had any religion; or, that if I had I have apostatized from it."
From The Life of Benjamin Franklin With Many Choice Anecdotes and admirable sayings of this great man never before published by any of his biographers by Weems, Mason Locke
"But others, ashamed to do this, and in some manner secretly despairing within themselves of the life of God, apostatized entirely."
From Confession and Absolution by Capel, Thomas John
One whom I knew well, though he was not of our Mission, apostatized to save his life, and died most miserably, abandoned by his new fellow-religionists, and tenderly watched by those whom he had left.
From Life and Work in Benares and Kumaon, 1839-1877 by Kennedy, James
In the case of converts in health there was far more preparation; yet these often apostatized.
From Historic Handbook of the Northern Tour by Parkman, Francis
The first is the movement of the free-will towards God, and is an act of faith quickened by charity; and against this a man acts by apostatizing from the faith.
From Summa Theologica, Part III (Tertia Pars) From the Complete American Edition by Thomas, Aquinas, Saint
What was the fountain of this people's corruption, and apostatizing from their professions?
From The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning by Binning, Hugh
Many, like him, were apostatizing and dividing into factions, but the main body of the Saints, "taking the Holy Spirit for their guide," stood true to Brigham and the Twelve.
From Life of Heber C. Kimball, an Apostle The Father and Founder of the British Mission by Whitney, Orson F.
Every opportunity was given for apostatizing and for escaping death.
From A History of the Japanese People From the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era by Brinkley, F. (Frank)
Subsequently apostatizing from him and uniting with Mr. Jason W. Briggs, in forming the "Reorganized church."
From Succession in the Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Roberts, B. H.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
