heretical
heretical — adjective
- hereticalpositive
- more hereticalcomparative
- most hereticalsuperlative
1. describing an idea, opinion, or belief that most people in a group or society st
describing an idea, opinion, or belief that most people in a group or society strongly reject because it goes against the values or traditions they have long accepted.
Chen's plan to shorten the school week was seen as heretical at the town meeting.
passive: be seen as + heretical
The professor's heretical views on climate policy cost her the support of the university board.
heretical views on + topic
In the 1960s, many of the artist's paintings were considered heretical by traditional critics.
Darius's heretical idea that children should choose their own subjects shocked the conservative staff.
Yuna published a heretical article arguing that small towns benefit more from fewer traffic lights.
- unorthodox
milder — suggests a departure from tradition without the strong disapproval that heretical carries
- dissenting
focuses on the act of disagreeing rather than violating a norm; less emotionally charged
- iconoclastic
more active and aggressive — suggests deliberately attacking established beliefs or institutions
- orthodox
describes beliefs that follow the accepted standard
- conventional
describes ideas that conform to what most people expect or approve of
文法句型
heretical + noun (views, ideas, opinions)
be considered heretical
be seen as heretical
用法筆記
This sense is common in academic, political, and cultural contexts. Unlike sense 2, it has no connection to formal religion — the "accepted tradition" can be any long-standing social or professional norm.
常見錯誤
2. describing a religious claim or teaching that the recognized leaders of a church
describing a religious claim or teaching that the recognized leaders of a church have officially said is false because it contradicts their established doctrine.
The monk was accused of spreading heretical teachings about the nature of the soul.
heretical teachings about + topic
Fatima's heretical interpretation of the sacred texts led to her expulsion from the religious order.
heretical interpretation of + sacred text
Church leaders met to discuss how to respond to the growing number of heretical books.
Diego was put on trial for holding heretical beliefs about the afterlife.
The council declared the pamphlet heretical and ordered all copies destroyed.
- unorthodox
much milder — can simply mean unusual without accusation of falsehood
- blasphemous
more about showing disrespect toward God or sacred things, rather than holding a wrong belief
- apostate
noun only — describes a person who has completely abandoned the faith, not a belief itself
- orthodox
describes beliefs that follow the official teachings of the church
- doctrinally sound
describes beliefs that agree with established religious doctrine
文法句型
heretical + noun (belief, teaching, doctrine)
declare something heretical
be branded as heretical
用法筆記
Historically associated with religious courts and inquisitions. In modern use, this sense is still active within conservative religious communities; outside those contexts, sense 1 is more appropriate.