❌ Making mistakes ⛪ Wrong beliefs

errancy

9.9

Holding beliefs that church leaders call wrong

noun
/ˈɛrənsi/

Jargon

: herejía

The theologian was criticized for his errancy in interpreting biblical texts.

Examples

The bishop warned against the dangers of errancy in matters of faith.
In medieval Provence, the Cathars, heirs of Mani whose meatless diet also excluded milk and cheese, were condemned for doctrinal errancy.

Academic text (2000)
Her views on the matter were seen as an errancy that went against church doctrine.

Synonyms

heresy

vserrancy

Formal

32 9.6

A belief that goes against accepted teaching, often in religion

is treated as deviation especially in church theology and papal authority

heterodoxy

vserrancy

Formal

1 9.9

Beliefs or ideas that differ from what most people accept, often in religion

is regarded as doctrinal deviation mainly in church and papal contexts

Antonyms

orthodoxy

29 7.4

Traditional beliefs and practices accepted by a group, especially in religion

conformity

24 4.8

A state of behaving and thinking like most people or like rules say

How Orthodox

orthodoxy

29 7.4

errancy

Jargon

9.9

heterodoxy

Formal

1 9.9

heresy

Formal

32 9.6

Surface Forms

errancy singular

errancies plural

Morphology

errancy = errant (semi-transparent) = errant + ancy

The form is transparently built from 'errant' + '-ancy', but the theological sense (deviation from doctrine) is specialized and not fully predictable by general learners.

Etymology

Errancy also has a religious meaning and comes from the Latin errare 'to wander', the same root behind the word errant. A helpful way to remember this use is to imagine beliefs that have 'wandered' away from the accepted path, which is why errancy can mean holding views seen as wrong by a church.