apostasy

American  

[uh-pos-tuh-see] / əˈpɒs tə si /

noun

• apostasies
  plural

1. a total desertion of or departure from one's religion, principles, party, cause, etc.

---

apostasy British  

/ əˈpɒstəsɪ /

noun

1. abandonment of one's religious faith, party, a cause, etc

---

Usage

What does apostasy mean? Apostasy is the act of totally abandoning or rejecting one’s religion (or the state of having abandoned or rejected it). It can also be used in a slightly more general way to refer to the act of totally abandoning or rejecting one’s principles, cause, party, or other organization. The word typically implies that before the rejection, one had a strong connection or involvement. Someone who abandons their religion or cause in this way can be called an apostate. 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. Apostasy is sometimes used more specifically to refer to a rejection of Christianity, but the term is also used in the context of other religions, such as Islam. A common misspelling of apostasy is apostacy. Example: The pastor’s sermon condemned apostasy—the trouble is, the apostates weren’t there to hear it.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• apostasies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of apostasy

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English apostasye, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin apostasia, from Greek: “defection, revolt, withdrawal,” from apóstas(is) (equivalent to apo- apo- + stásis stasis ) + -ia -ia

Explanation

If your lifelong Republican-voting grandfather suddenly decides to register as a Democrat, some of his conservative friends may consider his change in politics to be apostasy, or rejecting what has been a strong belief and adopting a new one. When you abandon a set of beliefs, especially when they're religious beliefs, you can be accused of apostasy, which in some countries is actually illegal. It's taken seriously by many churches, since the rejection of a church's ideas can be seen as a criticism of the entire organization. Over time, the meaning of apostasy has grown to include non-religious examples, like your grandfather's political switch.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

apostasy apostasies

Examples include apostasy laws in some Muslim-majority countries and India’s anticonversion laws.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

Longstreet’s prominence made his apostasy an especially dangerous threat.

From Slate ● Nov. 20, 2023

He is part of the Argentine Coalition for a Secular State that is leading an apostasy movement.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 4, 2023

“There are about a dozen countries in the world where apostasy or blasphemy is, at least in theory, subject to the death penalty,” he said.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 31, 2023

There can be no plainer commentary on the literary theme of the nun unwillingly professed than these cases of recurring frailty and apostasy.

From Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535 by Power, Eileen

But the apostasies that appealed to more moderate voters made him a pariah to many within his own party.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 18, 2022

The group is willing to call out apostasies while also offering sufficient positive reinforcement to ensure that it keeps a seat at the table.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 12, 2018

Once we accept such dichotomies, we naturally look for the apostasies and hypocrisies of benighted people on the wrong side of the ethical or cognitive tracks but rarely for real understanding.

From Slate ● Nov. 17, 2015

These apostasies have left his old allies angry and confused.

From BusinessWeek ● Aug. 28, 2012

Since his last letter, three days before, seven notable apostasies had taken place in Westminster diocese alone, two priests and five important laymen.

From Lord of the World by Benson, Robert Hugh