heretical
adjective
he·ret·i·cal
hə-ˈre-ti-kəl 
variants
or less commonly heretic
ˈher-ə-ˌtik
ˈhe-rə-
1
: of or relating to adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma : characterized by heresy
heretical writings
2
: of, relating to, or characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards : unorthodox
It would be heretical to suggest changing company policy.
Synonyms
Examples of heretical in a Sentence
the belief that women should be allowed to have careers outside the home was once considered heretical
Recent Examples on the Web
The weeks leading up to Imbrie’s killing saw a spate of violent incidents against the Baha’i, a minority religious group viewed as a heretical sect by the majority Shiite Muslim population.
—
Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024
Just the idea of extinction, writes Taylor, was heretical.
—Brenda Wineapple, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2024
His recommendations for how to make up for pandemic losses are, unsurprisingly, mildly heretical.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 18 July 2024
Some Muslim groups consider the prospect of a female imam leading men in prayer within a mosque as heretical.
—John Blake, CNN, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for heretical 
Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024
Just the idea of extinction, writes Taylor, was heretical.
—Brenda Wineapple, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2024
His recommendations for how to make up for pandemic losses are, unsurprisingly, mildly heretical.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 18 July 2024
Some Muslim groups consider the prospect of a female imam leading men in prayer within a mosque as heretical.
—John Blake, CNN, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for heretical
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heretical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near heretical
Cite this Entry
“Heretical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heretical. Accessed 16 Sep. 2024.
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heretical
adjective
he·ret·i·cal
hə-ˈret-i-kəl
: of, relating to, or characterized by heresy : unorthodox
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