heretical

[ huh-ret-i-kuhl ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of heretics or heresy.

   Synonyms: unorthodox, radical, dissident, unconventional

Other Words From

• he·reti·cal·ly adverb
• he·reti·cal·ness noun
• nonhe·reti·cal adjective
• nonhe·reti·cal·ly adverb
• semi·he·reti·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of heretical¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word haereticālis. See heretic, -al ¹

Example Sentences

That may not sound radical to today’s feminists, but in the field of evolutionary biology, such a pronouncement has long bordered on the heretical.

From Science News

Some recruiters told would-be recruits that the state leaders had to be confronted because the state’s loyalty oath contained heretical ideas.

From Time

The idea of the Treasury borrowing hundreds of billions — or trillions — of dollars by selling long-term securities and in effect betting that interest rates will rise is heretical.

From Washington Post

This is a heretical view and if it were left at that, I don't think much good would come of it.

From The Daily Beast

Either way, the FSA-ISIS feud got worse after the McCain visit with the Northern Storm, which ISIS viewed as a heretical act.

From The Daily Beast

Son of God is so awful that it borders on godless—not sinful or heretical, just lacking true Spirit.

From The Daily Beast

He makes heretical suggestions about calling a “truce” in the culture wars.

From The Daily Beast

Conservatives have written the whole thing off as the heretical pursuit of the Bush administration.

From The Daily Beast

In the meantime the university had taken steps to ensure the suppression of heretical books.

From Project Gutenberg

The Sorbonne declared, in the sixteenth century, that it was heretical to say that heretics ought not to be burned.

From Project Gutenberg

Thus these various national churches, all called heretical by both Greeks and Latins, continued to exist under Turkish rule.

From Project Gutenberg

Galling though the Irish laws were, they never went so far as to make the mere holding of heretical opinions criminal.

From Project Gutenberg

Massachusetts had not yet renounced her designs upon the territories of the heretical Colony.

From Project Gutenberg