Word of the Day

: December 15, 2006

heterodox

adjective HET-uh-ruh-dahks

What It Means

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

2 : holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines

heterodox in Context

In the 16th century, Nicolaus Copernicus presented the then-heterodox theory that the sun is the center of our solar system.

Did You Know?

"Orthodoxy ... is my doxy -- heterodoxy is another man's doxy," quipped 18th-century bishop William Warburton. He was only punning, but it is true that individuals often see other people's ideas as unconventional while regarding their own as beyond reproach. The antonyms "orthodox" and "heterodox" developed from the same root, the Greek "doxa," which means "opinion." "Heterodox" derives from "doxa" plus "heter-," a combining form meaning "other" or "different"; "orthodoxy" pairs "doxa" with "orth-," meaning "correct" or "straight."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.