Word
heresy
US/ˈhɛɹəsi/
UK/hˈɛɹəsi/
Definitions
01religious conflict
n. a religious belief that is different from the official teachings of a church.
n. a doctrine or opinion at variance with established religious dogma, especially when held by a member of that religion.
“In the past, people were sometimes punished for heresy if they disagreed with the church.”
“The medieval scholar was charged with heresy after publishing a treatise that questioned the absolute authority of the papacy.”
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02unorthodox opinion
n. an opinion that goes against what most people in a group or profession believe is true.
n. an opinion or doctrine at odds with what is generally accepted within a particular field, such as science or politics.
“Suggesting that the company should stop making its most famous product was seen as heresy.”
“In the tight-knit scientific community of the time, his rejection of the established laws of physics was regarded as professional heresy.”
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Real-World Examples
“In 1401, an act was passed to suppress heresy, condemning seditious heretics, including the Lollards, to punishments that could include death by burning.” “Meanwhile, Wilby noted that the Cagots “endured a long-standing association with heretics,” with members of the community themselves claiming to be connected to the Cathar heresy of twelfth-century Provence.” Etymology
From Middle English heresie, 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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/heresy