heretical

H4E1R1E1T1I1C3A1L1
/həˈɹɛtɪkəl/

adjective

Of or pertaining to heresy or heretics.

Less commonScrabble 14

Meanings

adjectiveheretical (comparative more heretical, superlative most heretical)

comparative more heretical · superlative most heretical · alternative archaic hæretical

  1. Of or pertaining to heresy or heretics.
    1 more example

    At least as Auxentius reports him in the covering letter which precedes Ulfila’s confession, he is as vehement in his opposition to what he sees as heretical alternatives to his own form of belief as most other participants in the controversies of the time. Heretics are not Christians but antichrists. Homoousians, Homoiousians, and Macedonians are all included in this blanket condemnation.

    1996, Maurice Wiles, “[The End of Arianism] Gothic Christianity”, in Archetypal Heresy: Arianism through the Centuries, Oxford, Oxon: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, page 43
  2. Contrary to mainstream or accepted opinion.

    Synonyms: unorthodox

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveContrary to mainstream or accepted opinion.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivecharacterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Medieval Latinhaereticālis
  2. Middle Frencheretical
  3. Englishheretical

From Middle English, borrowed from Middle French eretical and from Medieval Latin haereticālis, from haereticus, equivalent to heretic + -al. See heretic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian еретичен
  • еретичен (eretičen)of or pertaining to heresy or heretics
Catalan herètic
  • herèticof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
Czech kacířský
  • kacířskýof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
Danish kættersk
  • kætterskof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
Dutch ketters, ketters
  • kettersof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • ketterscontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
Esperanto hereza, hereza
  • herezaof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • herezacontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
Finnish harhaoppinen, kerettiläinen
  • harhaoppinenof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • kerettiläinenof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • toisinajattelijaof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • harhaoppinencontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
French hérétique
  • hérétiqueof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
German häretisch, häretisch
  • häretischof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • häretischcontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
  • ketzerischcontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
Greek αιρετικός, αιρετικός
  • αιρετικός (airetikós)of or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • αιρετικός (airetikós)contrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
Hindi विधर्मी
  • विधर्मी (vidharmī)of or pertaining to heresy or heretics
Irish eiriceach, eiriciúil
  • eiriceachof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • eiriciúilof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
Italian eretico
  • ereticocontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
Latin haeresiacus, haereticālis
  • haeresiacusof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • haereticālisof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • haereticusof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
Māori heretiki, heretiki
  • heretikiof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • heretikicontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
Polish bogoburczy, heretycki
  • bogoburczyof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • heretyckiof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • heretyckicontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
Portuguese herético, herege
  • heréticoof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • heregeof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • heréticocontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
Romanian eretic
  • ereticof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
Russian ерети́ческий
  • ерети́ческий (jeretíčeskij)of or pertaining to heresy or heretics
Slovak kacírsky, heretický
  • kacírskyof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • heretickýof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • kacírskycontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
  • heretickýcontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
  • heretickácontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
  • heretickécontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
Spanish hereje, herético
  • herejeof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • heréticoof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • heréticocontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
Swedish kättersk, heretisk
  • kätterskof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • heretiskof or pertaining to heresy or heretics
  • kätterskcontrary to mainstream or accepted opinion
Ukrainian єретичний
  • єретичний (jeretyčnyj)of or pertaining to heresy or heretics

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

heretical. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heretical

MLA

“heretical.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heretical. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heretical,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heretical.

Source: heretical on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.