apostatize

American  

[uh-pos-tuh-tahyz] / əˈpɒs təˌtaɪz /

especially British, apostatise

verb (used without object)

apostatized, apostatizing

1. to commit apostasy.

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apostatize British  

/ əˈpɒstəˌtaɪz /

verb

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

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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

• apostatism
  noun
• unapostatized
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of apostatize

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

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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

See Examples For:

apostatize apostatized apostatizing

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

Is this the man likely to apostatize from every principle that can bind him to the State—his birth, his property, his education, his character, and his children?

From Irish Wit and Humor Anecdote Biography of Swift, Curran, O'Leary and O'Connell by Anonymous

If, however, the eldest son consented to apostatize, the estate was settled upon him, the father from that hour became only a life-tenant, and lost all power of selling, mortgaging, or otherwise disposing of it.

From Handbook of Home Rule Being articles on the Irish question by Edwin Lawrence Godkin

The upshot was that he advised Nathan not to apostatize too suddenly.

From A Daughter of Eve by Honoré de Balzac

He was immediately cast into prison, and alternate threats and promises were employed to induce him to apostatize.

From Mary, Help of Christians And the Fourteen Saints Invoked as Holy Helpers: Instructions, Novenas and Prayers with Thoughts of the Saints for Every Day in the Year by John J. (John James) Burke

Dispensation succeeded dispensation, as age succeeded age; time and time again the people apostatized, but each time some little remnant of divine truth remained with them.

From An Examination into and an Elucidation of the Great Principle of the Mediation and Atonement of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by John M. (John Metcalf) Taylor

She, however, as I have since learned, after maintaining her standing in the church for many years, apostatized and became openly abandoned.

From A Practical Directory for Young Christian Females Being a Series of Letters from a Brother to a Younger Sister by Harvey Newcomb

When the kings of Judah apostatized, while the individuals were punished, the race was spared.

From Notable Women of Olden Time by Anonymous

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 James Kennedy

A comparison between this edition and the later edition of 1577 brings out the interesting circumstance that many Huguenots of little courage, who at first apostatized, afterward returned to their old faith.

From History of the Rise of the Huguenots Volume 2 by Henry Martyn Baird

Without openly apostatizing, they insisted on a measure of independence.

From The Story of the Mormons, from the date of their origin to the year 1901 by William Alexander Linn

It must not be supposed from the frequent quotations from Countess von Stachelberg's condemnations of German cruelties that she was an unpatriotic woman, repudiating, apostatizing from her own country.

From Mrs. Warren's Daughter A Story of the Woman's Movement by Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston

What was the fountain of this people's corruption, and apostatizing from their professions?

From The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning by Hugh Binning

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 B. H. Roberts

Therefore we ought not to refuse allegiance to a sovereign on account of his apostatizing from the faith.

From Summa Theologica, Part II-II (Secunda Secundae) Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province by Saint Thomas Aquinas

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