heretical
adjective
he·ret·i·cal
hə-ˈre-ti-kəl 
variants
or less commonly heretic
ˈher-ə-ˌtik
ˈhe-rə-
1
: of or relating to adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma : characterized by heresy
heretical writings
2
: of, relating to, or characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards : unorthodox
It would be heretical to suggest changing company policy.
Synonyms
Examples of heretical in a Sentence
the belief that women should be allowed to have careers outside the home was once considered heretical
Recent Examples on the Web
That conclusion, supported by the highly respected and circumspect Collins, was considered heretical.
—
Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Oct. 2024
Thirst won the Jury Prize at Cannes and was nominated for the Palme d’Or, which is some great prestige for this heretical South Korean horror drama.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024
Both of them viewed Christianity and Judaism as so alike that each faith might view the other as a heretical version of its own teachings.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Oct. 2024
The Gulf states wanted nothing to do with Obama’s ideas of sharing the region with Iran and even less to do with his heretical ideas about embracing democracy and the Arab Spring uprisings.
—Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 26 July 2022
See all Example Sentences for heretical 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Oct. 2024
Thirst won the Jury Prize at Cannes and was nominated for the Palme d’Or, which is some great prestige for this heretical South Korean horror drama.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024
Both of them viewed Christianity and Judaism as so alike that each faith might view the other as a heretical version of its own teachings.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Oct. 2024
The Gulf states wanted nothing to do with Obama’s ideas of sharing the region with Iran and even less to do with his heretical ideas about embracing democracy and the Arab Spring uprisings.
—Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 26 July 2022
See all Example Sentences for heretical
Dictionary Entries Near heretical
Cite this Entry
“Heretical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heretical. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
heretical
adjective
he·ret·i·cal
hə-ˈret-i-kəl
: of, relating to, or characterized by heresy : unorthodox
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share