This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
heretic
[ noun her-i-tik; adjective her-i-tik, huh-ret-ik ]
/ noun ˈhɛr ɪ tɪk; adjective ˈhɛr ɪ tɪk, həˈrɛt ɪk /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
a professed believer who maintains religious opinions contrary to those accepted by his or her church or rejects doctrines prescribed by that church.
Roman Catholic Church. a baptized Roman Catholic who willfully and persistently rejects any article of faith.
anyone who does not conform to an established attitude, doctrine, or principle.
adjective
OTHER WORDS FOR heretic
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of heretic
1300–50; Middle English heretik<Middle French heretique<Late Latin haereticus<Greek hairetikós able to choose (Late Greek: heretical), equivalent to hairet(ós) that may be taken (verbal adjective of haireîn to choose) + -ikos-ic
OTHER WORDS FROM heretic
sem·i·her·e·tic, adjective, nounWords nearby heretic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use heretic in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for heretic
heretic
/ (ˈhɛrətɪk) /
noun
mainly RC Church a person who maintains beliefs contrary to the established teachings of the Church
a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field
Derived forms of heretic
heretical (hɪˈrɛtɪkəl), adjectiveheretically, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for heretic
heretic
One who challenges the doctrines of an established church (see also established church). Martin Luther was proclaimed a heretic for rejecting many of the tenets of the Roman Catholic Church.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.