heresiarch

noun

hə-ˈrē-zē-ˌärk How to pronounce heresiarch (audio)
Definition of heresiarchnext
as in dissenter
a person who believes, teaches, or advocates something opposed to accepted beliefs his about-face on welfare reform has led him to be seen as a heresiarch among his party's faithful

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for heresiarch
  1. dissenter
  2. dissident
  3. renegade
Noun
  • The Basij boosted its presence during the war, and hard-liners have held nightly rallies in Tehran and other cities, drumming up support and intimidating any possible dissenters.
    — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Since joining the court in 2022, Jackson has become a prolific and passionate dissenter, unafraid to criticize the conservative majority even when her fellow liberal justices do not always join her.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of dissenter
Noun
  • Under Beijing’s tightening grip, lawyers assisting those whom authorities viewed as dissidents also have faced pressure.
    — Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Critics say Wong’s case showed the authorities’ determination to silence prominent dissidents, chilling civic activism.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of dissident
Noun
  • In some ways, there is a strange kind of unity to these three—all are set during the Depression, all feature stylish renegades.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In Russell, the director found a star who could match his renegade energy.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of renegade
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

heres
heresiarch
heresiarchs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heresiarch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heresiarch. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All