1.
[syn: heretic, misbeliever, religious outcast]
2. a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion);
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Heretic \Her"e*tic\, n. [L. haereticus, Gr. ? able to choose,
heretical, fr. ? to take, choose: cf. F. h['e]r['e]tique. See
Heresy.]
1. One who holds to a heresy; one who believes some doctrine
contrary to the established faith or prevailing religion.
[1913 Webster]
A man that is an heretic, after the first and second
admonition, reject. --Titus iii.
10.
[1913 Webster]
2. (R. C. Ch.) One who having made a profession of Christian
belief, deliberately and pertinaciously refuses to believe
one or more of the articles of faith "determined by the
authority of the universal church." --Addis & Arnold.
Syn: Heretic, Schismatic, Sectarian.
Usage: A heretic is one whose errors are doctrinal, and
usually of a malignant character, tending to subvert
the true faith. A schismatic is one who creates a
schism, or division in the church, on points of faith,
discipline, practice, etc., usually for the sake of
personal aggrandizement. A sectarian is one who
originates or is an ardent adherent and advocate of a
sect, or distinct organization, which separates from
the main body of believers.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
heretic
n 1: a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the
dogma of the Roman Catholic Church [syn: heretic,
misbeliever, religious outcast]
2: a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not
merely religion)
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
53 Moby Thesaurus words for "heretic":
Albigensian, Arian, Bohemian, Cathar, Donatist, Ebionite, Erastian,
Gnostic, Jansenist, Lollard, Manichaean, Monophysite, Montanist,
Pelagian, Sabellian, Waldensian, Wyclifite, antinomian, apostate,
beatnik, defector, deviant, deviationist, dissenter, dissident,
dropout, emanationist, flower child, freak, hippie, hylotheist,
iconoclast, infidel, maverick, misbeliever, misfit, nonconformist,
nonjuror, original, pantheist, recreant, recusant, renegade,
revisionist, schismatic, sectarian, sectary, separatist, swinger,
ugly duckling, unbeliever, unconformist, yippie