Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
heresiarch

heresiarch

1 9.9
A person who starts or leads religious ideas that many people reject
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛrəˌsiˌɑrk/
  • Archaic
translation icon : hereje

Examples

  • She knows perfectly well that the heresiarch was showing how the ideal of American democracy could be expressed.

    Blog text (9)

  • Heresiarch (63): I think I've figured out where the confusion is coming from.

    Blog text (25)

  • *Maybe "trope content" would be better than "subject matter;" I take heresiarch's point that SF isn't necessarily.

    Blog text (9)

  • The notion of virtual and real enters from the outset of the story: one of the heresiarchs of Uqbar, the country from which the literature of Tlon originated, had declared that mirrors and copulation are abominable because they increase the number of men.

    Blog text (26)

  • The heresiarch led a movement that challenged traditional religious beliefs.

  • Many followers view the heresiarch as a visionary, while critics label him as dangerous.

  • In history, a heresiarch could be excommunicated for teaching ideas considered heretical.

Synonyms

iconoclast
vsheresiarch
  • Formal
6 9.6

A person who strongly criticizes common beliefs or institutions

organizes and leads promotion of beliefs seen as unorthodox in religion
ambonoclast
vsheresiarch
9.9

A person who questions or opposes long-held beliefs and traditions

leads groups that promote beliefs seen as unorthodox in religion

Antonyms

orthodox
30 5.9

Following traditional beliefs and practices, especially in religion

How Unorthodox

heresiarch
  • Archaic
1 9.9
heretic
  • Formal
19 8.8
dissenter
22 7.2

Surface Forms

heresiarch singular
heresiarchs plural

Morphology

heresiarch = heresy (semi-transparent) = heresy + arch

Formed from 'heresy' + the suffix '-arch' meaning 'leader'; the meaning is predictable but the suffix '-arch' is relatively low-frequency and may be unfamiliar to many learners.

Etymology

Heresiarch comes from heresy, from a Greek root meaning 'choice', and arch, the same part in monarch meaning 'ruler'. So a heresiarch is literally a leader of a chosen, different belief, which is why the word means someone who leads or spreads ideas that the main group does not accept.