heresy

noun

her·​e·​sy ˈher-ə-sē 

ˈhe-rə-

plural heresies

1

a

: adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma (see dogma sense 2)

They were accused of heresy.

b

: denial of a revealed truth by a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church

c

: an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma

2

a

: dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice

To disagree with the party leadership was heresy.

b

: an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards

our democratic heresy which holds that … truth is to be found by majority vote

—M. W. Straight

Synonyms

• dissent
• dissidence
• heterodoxy
• nonconformity

Examples of heresy in a Sentence

They were accused of heresy.

He was preaching dangerous heresies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Before becoming pope, Benedict, a Bavarian, was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, responsible for confronting heresy. —Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025

Bishops, who were the heads of the central churches in cities and supported by the emperors, met together in several general – ecumenical – councils to condemn heresies and assign authority more clearly. —Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025

Iran would likely question the legitimacy of the Sunni regimes, accuse them of abandoning the Palestinians, and charge them with committing heresy against Islam by cooperating with Israel and the United States. —Moshe Yaalon, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2018

In the film, Katharine secretly meets with her friend Anne, a firebrand Protestant reformer who is arrested on charges of heresy during Henry VIII’s reign and is ultimately executed. —Tim Lammers, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English heresie, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed (with assimilation to the suffix -ie -y entry 2) from Late Latin haeresis, heresis "school (of philosophy or theology), sect, belief contrary to church dogma," borrowed from Greek haíresis "act of taking, choice, course of action or thought, system of principles, sect, faction," from haireîn "to take, grasp, (middle voice) obtain, choose, prefer" (of obscure origin) + -sis -sis

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

heresy

noun

her·​e·​sy ˈher-ə-sē 

plural heresies

1

: religious opinion that is opposed to the doctrines of a church

2

: opinion that is opposed to a generally accepted belief