heresy

American  

[her-uh-see] / ˈhɛr ə si /

noun

• heresies
  plural

1. opinion or doctrine at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine, especially of a church or religious system.

2. the maintaining of such an opinion or doctrine.

3. Roman Catholic Church. the willful and persistent rejection of any article of faith by a baptized member of the church.

4. any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs, customs, etc.

   Synonyms:

   dissension, iconoclasm, dissent

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heresy British  

/ ˈhɛrəsɪ /

noun

1. 1. an opinion or doctrine contrary to the orthodox tenets of a religious body or church

   2. the act of maintaining such an opinion or doctrine

2. any opinion or belief that is or is thought to be contrary to official or established theory

3. belief in or adherence to unorthodox opinion

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heresy Cultural  

1. A belief or teaching considered unacceptable by a religious group. (See heretic.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superheresy
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• heresies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of heresy

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English heresie, from Old French eresie, from Latin haeresis “school of thought, sect,” from Greek haíresis, literally, “act of choosing,” derivative of haireîn “to choose”

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Explanation

A heresy is a belief that doesn't agree with the official tenets of a particular religion; heresy is the maintaining of such contrary beliefs. Heresy can be used figuratively: to disagree with the school committee's decisions is considered pure heresy by the faculty. You'll often come across this word in a religious context — the Latin root haeresis, "school of thought or sect," was used by Christian writers to mean "unorthodox sect or belief." This comes from the Greek hairesis, "a taking or choosing," from hairein, "to choose." A person who chooses to believe in heresies is called a heretic.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heresy heresies

"They say that 'C'etait ca ou mourir' was written by an artificial intelligence. That's slander and heresy," Orelien said in a statement Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

During the discussion that followed, Mr. Klepach went further, committing heresy in the eyes of Mr. Putin, who insists that Russia’s war against Ukraine is going splendidly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Within a legal profession that venerates judges and worships the Supreme Court, this is borderline heresy.

From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026

"This is eminently reasonable but was treated for many years as heresy," he added.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2025

Matthew sat intent, ready to pounce on a hint of heresy.

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare

Mr. Pynchon, a descendant of the colonial family fictionalized in “The House of the Seven Gables,” infuses his chronicle with a modern sense of paranoia and a taste for countercultural heresies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

As for Cornyn, perhaps Trump still harbors grudges for various heresies over the years.

From Slate ● Mar. 2, 2026

In the past, while the Church did its best to crack down on heresies, it was not necessary to impose any kind of formal censorship.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020

“The heresies of one period,” she said, always become “the orthodoxies of the next”.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 19, 2018

But these heresies died when he read her last letter.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

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Related Words

• blasphemy
• fallacy

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