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to apostatize

to apostatize

1 9.9
To leave a religion and stop believing its teachings
  • verb
  • /əˈpɑːstəˌtaɪz/
  • Formal
translation icon : apostatizar
  • After years of questioning his beliefs, he chose to apostatize and join a different religion.

Examples

  • But they have apostatized.

  • We are never privy to any explicit pact in which she apostatizes.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Give up the faith, apostatize, as you say.

  • Remember this, if you are truly a Christian, you will apostatize and not let them die.

  • As long as you don't apostatize, they can not be saved.

  • Because we told him you apostatized.

  • Lacking the light, humans apostatized.

    Academic text (2003)
  • They should apostatize!

  • Most horrible to contemplate was the often-expressed fear that Catholic emigrants might apostatize in the New World.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The Inquisitor promises that if Father Garupe apostatizes.

Synonyms

to renounce
vsto apostatize
  • Formal
69 6.3

To give up a right, belief, job, or position officially

is specifically about leaving religious faith often for another system
to retract
vsto apostatize
  • Formal
41 6.0

To take back a statement or opinion in public

is about formally leaving religious faith not just withdrawing a statement
to foreswear
vsto apostatize
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To publicly promise to give up a belief, habit, or claim

is specifically about leaving religious faith often for another system
to tergiversate
vsto apostatize
  • Formal
9.9

To give up long-held beliefs or loyalties in a way that seems weak

is a formal specific abandonment of religious faith rather than evasive change

Antonyms

87 4.7

Continue to follow and support a rule, belief, or person

How Formal

to apostatize
  • Formal
1 9.9
to renounce
  • Formal
69 6.3
to abandon
401 3.8
to leave
1.0
to quit
668 1.0
to drift away
15 4.5

Surface Forms

apostatize infinitive
apostatized past participle
apostatizing present participle
apostatizes third person singular

Morphology

apostatize = apostate (transparent) = apostate + ize

Formed by the regular verb-forming suffix '-ize' on 'apostate', so the meaning 'to become or make an apostate' is directly derivable.

Etymology

Apostatize comes from Greek roots that mean 'stand away'. The apo- part means 'away' and the stasis part means 'a standing', so to apostatize is to 'stand away' from a belief — to formally leave or give up a faith.