heterodox

adjective

het·ero·dox ˈhe-tə-rə-ˌdäks

ˈhe-trə-

: contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard, a traditional form, or an established religion : unorthodox, unconventional

heterodox ideas

: holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines

a heterodox religious sect

Did you know?

Hot take: individuals often see other people’s ideas as unconventional while regarding their own as common sense. On second thought, this take may be more on the mild side—in other words, closer to orthodox (“conventional”) insight about human nature than to heterodox (“unconventional” or “contrary”) opinion. Both orthodox and heterodox developed from the same root, the Greek doxa, meaning “opinion.” Heterodox combines doxa with heter-, a combining form meaning “other” or “different”; orthodox pairs doxa with orth-, meaning “correct” or “straight.”

Examples of heterodox in a Sentence

a Christian clergyman with a very heterodox opinion on the divinity of Jesus her heterodox approach to teaching science initially met with some resistance from her peers

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Modern horror cinema’s most heterodox event took place on Saturday night, when two blonde Whitneys and A24 hosted dueling screenings at a multiplex within the southernmost border of Salt Lake City proper. —

Claire Carusillo, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024 The heterodox school of economics that Harris is part of certainly didn’t have all the answers. —

John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024 The conversation around aging used to be more heterodox and more demanding. —

Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 Such efforts must celebrate viewpoint diversity and heterodox ideas and not merely be a cudgel for forcing ideological conformity. —

Ray Ravaglia, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for heterodox