heresy
/ˈhɛɹəsi/ noun
Forms heresies hæresy
- noun (religion) A doctrine held by a member of a religion at variance or conflict with established religious beliefs.
- noun (by extension) A controversial or unorthodox opinion held by a member of a group, as in politics, philosophy or science.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English heresie (Middle English her(esie) + -esy), from Old French heresie (modern hérésie), from Latin haeresis, from Ancient Greek αἵρεσις (haíresis, “choice, system of principles”), from αἱρέομαι (hairéomai, “to take for oneself, to choose”), the middle voice of αἱρέω (hairéō, “to take”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ser-; see also Welsh herw (“theft, raid”), Ancient Greek στερέω (steréō, “to deprive of”). Displaced native Old English dwild.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An opinion held in opposition to the established or commonly received doctrine, and tending to promote a division or party, as in politics, literature, philosophy, etc.; --usually, but not necessarily, said in reproach.
- noun Religious opinion opposed to the authorized doctrinal standards of any particular church, especially when tending to promote schism or separation; lack of orthodox or sound belief; rejection of, or erroneous belief in regard to, some fundamental religious doctrine or truth; heterodoxy.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “heresy”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details