Heresy Meaning
/ˈhɛɹəsi/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA doctrine held by a member of a religion at variance or conflict with established religious beliefs.
nounA controversial or unorthodox opinion held by a member of a group, as in politics, philosophy or science.
Sentence Examples
As for the accusations of heresy, here the evidence is much weaker.
All this worldly wisdom was once the unamiable heresy of some wise man.
Antonio was burnt at the stake for heresy.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
None
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The church considered his claim that the Earth was round a ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
In the past, anyone who disagreed with the official church teachings was often accused of ____.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English heresie (Middle English her(esie) + -esy), 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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"I'm going to declare a heresy for you. All science, if you go back into its roots, saying: 'Why do I believe this?' 'Well, I believe this because of these tests and this proof.' 'Well, why do I believe this?' 'Why did I set up this test?' 'Why did I believe that proof?' All science goes back to something that we believe because we believe it. We believe it because we believe it, and we have no proof for it. It's like a religion."
— 1985 April 17, Frank Herbert, 15:58 from the start, in Frank Herbert speaking at UCLA 4/17/1985, UCLACommStudies, archived from the original on 10 Feb 2017:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The church considered his claim that the Earth was round a ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
In the past, anyone who disagreed with the official church teachings was often accused of ____.