heretic
heretic — noun
- hereticsingular
- hereticsplural
1. a person who publicly challenges the ideas or practices that most people in a gr
a person who publicly challenges the ideas or practices that most people in a group, profession, or society accept as normal and correct
Beatriz was called a heretic by her colleagues for arguing that the company should stop selling to its biggest customer.
call + someone + a heretic + for + [gerund]
In the tech industry, anyone who questions the value of artificial intelligence is quickly dismissed as a heretic.
dismiss + someone + as + a heretic
The lead architect proposed wood, not concrete, for the museum and was treated as a heretic.
Elena was branded a heretic by the editorial board after she wrote an article questioning the magazine's long-standing political stance.
Principal Soraya wanted more library books and fewer tablets, so the tech committee labelled her a heretic.
- dissenter
more neutral; a dissenter simply disagrees, whereas a heretic is seen as dangerously wrong
- nonconformist
broader — someone who does not follow social conventions, not necessarily a challenger of core beliefs
- renegade
implies active betrayal of a group one used to belong to
- conformist
someone who follows accepted rules and opinions without question
- traditionalist
someone who strongly supports long-established beliefs
文法句型
be dismissed as / be branded as / be treated as + heretic
call / label / brand + someone + a heretic
用法筆記
In this non-religious sense, heretic is usually paired with a verb of labelling (call, brand, dismiss as, treat as) plus a reason introduced by for, because, or a relative clause. The noun often appears with a possessive determiner: 'the industry's heretics'.
常見錯誤
2. a person whose beliefs about God, faith, or worship are rejected by the official
a person whose beliefs about God, faith, or worship are rejected by the official leaders of their religion as false or dangerous
During the Reformation, both Catholics and Protestants condemned each other's followers as heretics.
condemn + someone + as + a heretic (historical context)
Pastor Ilan was declared a heretic by the church council after he denied the doctrine of eternal punishment.
declare + someone + a heretic + by + [authority]
The bishop warned that anyone who translated the scriptures into local languages would be treated as a heretic.
In 1633, the Catholic Church forced the astronomer Galileo to publicly deny his own findings or face punishment as a heretic.
When Minh began teaching that heaven was not a physical place, her congregation accused her of speaking like a heretic.
- apostate
someone who has completely abandoned their religion, not merely holds unorthodox views within it
- schismatic
someone who causes a split in the church over discipline or organization, not necessarily over doctrine
- unbeliever
a broader term for anyone who does not hold a particular faith; unlike heretic, it does not imply former membership
- orthodox believer
someone who accepts the official teachings of their faith without question
- faithful
a loyal member of a religious community who follows its doctrines
文法句型
declare / brand / condemn + someone + (as) + a heretic
be burned / executed / punished + as + a heretic
用法筆記
Historically, being declared a heretic often led to formal excommunication or legal punishment. In modern usage, the religious sense is still current but carries less life-threatening weight — churches may expel or shun a heretic rather than prosecute them.