Word
apostate
Phoneticsapos·tate
US/əˈpɔsteɪt/
UK/ɐpˈɒsteɪt/
Countable noun
Definition
n. someone who leaves a religion, belief, or group and no longer follows it.
n. a person who has renounced a religious faith, political loyalty, or set of principles after former adherence.
Examples
“They call her an apostate after she leaves their church.”
“After years of doubt, she left her faith community and was labelled an apostate by some former friends.”
“Branded an apostate for questioning doctrine, the scholar found that exile from his community sharpened rather than silenced his search for truth.”
Examples
simple
“They call her an apostate after she leaves their church.”
contextual
“After years of doubt, she left her faith community and was labelled an apostate by some former friends.”
complex
“Branded an apostate for questioning doctrine, the scholar found that exile from his community sharpened rather than silenced his search for truth.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “apostate” in context.
Verb
01. apostate flees
“The apostate flees across the border to seek asylum from religious persecution.”
noun + verb
02. apostate recants
“The authorities promised leniency if the apostate recants his previous statements.”
noun + verb
03. brand apostate
“The council voted to brand him an apostate for his radical new teachings.”
verb + noun
04. denounce as apostate
“She was publicly denounced as an apostate by the church elders.”
verb + prep + noun
05. persecute apostate
“Human rights groups reported that the state continues to persecute every known apostate.”
verb + noun
Adjective
06. former apostate
“The community struggled to reintegrate the former apostate after his return.”
adj + noun
07. political apostate
“He was branded a political apostate after joining the rival party's campaign.”
adj + noun
08. religious apostate
“The regime viewed every religious apostate as a threat to national stability.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. treatment of apostate
“International observers criticized the government's harsh treatment of the apostate.”
noun + prep + noun
10. be branded an apostate
“To question the party line is to risk being branded an apostate.”
11. treat someone as an apostate
“His family refused to speak to him, treating him as an apostate.”
Real-World Examples
“In many countries, being non-religious can make someone a target for vicious persecution. This leads some to seek sanctuary elsewhere. But once they have claimed asylum, apostates can face trivial or confusing questions that often have no relation to the experience of someone who has lost faith.” “Nasr Abu Zayd, a progressive Islamic scholar from Egypt who was labeled an apostate for his critiques of conventional Muslim interpretations of the Koran, passed away on Monday at the age of 66 in a Cairo hospital.” “Nasr Abu Zayd reflects on his life thirteen years after an Egyptian sharia court branded him an apostate, nullified his marriage, and effectively compelled him into exile.” “According to the ahramonline news outlet, Hosny stepped down after facing backlash for calling researcher Islam El-Behery, recognized for his contentious interpretations of Islamic law, an apostate.” Etymology
From Late Latin apostata, from Ancient Greek ἀποστάτης (apostátēs, “rebel”), from ἀφίστημι (aphístēmi, “to withdraw, revolt”), from ἀπό (apó, “from”) + ἵστημι (hístēmi, “to stand”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/apostate