heretical
Against church teaching
Heretical means contrary to established religious doctrine or official belief.
A heretical view challenges orthodox teaching: The church condemned his heretical writings.
The word extends beyond religion to any deviation from accepted wisdom: Her heretical approach to economics challenged the field's assumptions.
The tone often suggests the establishment considers the view dangerous rather than merely wrong.
Renunciation of former beliefs
- blasphemyIrreverence toward the sacred
- sacrilegeViolation of the hallowed
- infidelNonbeliever in another's creed
- heathenIrreligious nonbeliever
pagan · excommunication · anathema · impiety · iconoclasm · schism · dissent · irreverence
Departing from standard practice
- iconoclasticAttacking cherished beliefs
- nonconformistRejects prevailing social standards
- dissidentOpposer of established systems
- contrarianChronic majority-opposer
rebellious · maverick · freethinking · deviant · eccentric · radical · renegade · dissenting
Not allowed
- prohibitedOfficially not permitted
- bannedOfficially disallowed
- censoredSuppressed from publication
- suppressedForcibly held down
ostracized · shunned · stigmatized · outlawed · verboten · anathema · excommunicated · persecuted
Disposition toward doubt
- doubtLack of firm belief
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
- freethoughtReason-based belief formation
secularism · empiricism · agnosticism · atheism · materialism · humanism · enlightenment · reason
Seeking fundamental systemic change
- groundbreakingIntroducing radical new ideas
- disruptiveTending to interrupt order
- visionaryImaginative planner of futures
- avant-gardeInnovative cultural pioneers
pioneering · radical · transformative · game-changing · trailblazing · bold · daring · breakthrough
apostasy
Renunciation of former beliefs
- blasphemyIrreverence toward the sacred
- sacrilegeViolation of the hallowed
- infidelNonbeliever in another's creed
heathen · pagan · excommunication · anathema · impiety · iconoclasm · schism · dissent · irreverence · profanity
unconventional
Departing from standard practice
- iconoclasticAttacking cherished beliefs
- nonconformistRejects prevailing social standards
- dissidentOpposer of established systems
contrarian · rebellious · maverick · freethinking · deviant · eccentric · radical · renegade · dissenting · questioning
forbidden
Not allowed
- prohibitedOfficially not permitted
- bannedOfficially disallowed
- censoredSuppressed from publication
suppressed · ostracized · shunned · stigmatized · outlawed · verboten · anathema · excommunicated · persecuted · silenced
skepticism
Disposition toward doubt
- doubtLack of firm belief
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
freethought · secularism · empiricism · agnosticism · atheism · materialism · humanism · enlightenment · reason · critical
revolutionary
Seeking fundamental systemic change
- groundbreakingIntroducing radical new ideas
- disruptiveTending to interrupt order
- visionaryImaginative planner of futures
avant-garde · pioneering · radical · transformative · game-changing · trailblazing · bold · daring · breakthrough · unconventional
- dissentersdissenter, dissenters, dissidents, dissident, nonconformists
- heresyapostasy, apostate, blasphemy, unorthodoxy, sectarianism
- Inquisitioninquisition, inquisitors, auto-da-fe, inquisitor, tribunals
- religious stancesdevout, pious, faithful, atheist, agnostic
- heresiesGnosticism, Monophysitism, Bogomilism, unorthodoxy, misbelief
hereticalorthodox
Conforming to established belief
canonical · doctrinal · dogmatic · scriptural · conforming
hereticalorthodox
Conforming to established belief
conventional · conformist · conforming · mainstream · traditional