Heretic

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  heretic
       n 1: a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the
            dogma of the Roman Catholic Church [syn: {misbeliever},
            {religious outcast}]
       2: a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not
          merely religion)

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  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