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Definition of heresy noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

     

    heresy

     noun
    noun
    NAmE//ˈhɛrəsi//
     
    (pl. heresies) [countable, uncountable]
     
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  1. 1a belief or an opinion that is against the principles of a particular religion; the fact of holding such beliefs He was burned at the stake for heresy. the heresies of the early Protestants Topic CollocationsReligionbeing religious
    • believe in God/Christ/Allah/free will/predestination/heaven and hell/an afterlife/reincarnation
    • be/become an agnostic/an atheist/a believer/a Buddhist/Christian/Hindu/Muslim, etc.
    • convert to/practice a religion/Buddhism/Catholicism/Christianity/Islam/Judaism, etc.
    • go to church/temple (= the synagogue)
    • go to the local church/mosque/synagogue
    • belong to a church/a religious community
    • join/enter the Church/a convent/a monastery/the clergy/the priesthood/a religious sect/a cult
    • praise/worship/obey/serve/glorify God
    celebrations and ritual
    • attend/hold/conduct/lead a service
    • perform a ceremony/a rite/a ritual/a baptism/the Hajj/a bar mitzvah/a bat mitzvah
    • carry out/perform a sacred/burial/funeral/fertility/purification rite/the last rites
    • go on/make a pilgrimage
    • celebrate Christmas/Diwali/Easter/Eid/Hanukkah/Passover/Ramadan
    • observe/break the Sabbath/a fast/Ramadan
    • deliver/preach/hear a sermon
    • lead/address the congregation
    • say/recite a prayer/blessing
    religious texts and ideas
    • preach/proclaim/spread the word of God/the Gospel/the message of Islam/a message
    • study/follow the dharma/the teachings of Buddha
    • read/study/understand/interpret scripture/the Bible/the Koran/the Gospel/the Torah
    • be based on/derived from divine revelation
    • commit/consider something heresy/sacrilege
    religious belief and experience
    • seek/find/gain enlightenment/wisdom
    • strengthen/lose/question your faith
    • keep/practice/abandon the faith
    • save/purify/lose your soul
    • obey/follow/keep/break/violate a commandment/Islamic law/Jewish law
    • be/accept/do God's will
    • receive/experience divine grace
    • achieve/attain enlightenment/salvation/nirvana
    • undergo a conversion/rebirth/reincarnation
    • hear/answer a prayer
    • commit/confess/forgive a sin
    • do/perform penance
  2. 2a belief or an opinion that disagrees strongly with what most people believe The idea is heresy to most employees of the company.
See heresy in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary