heretic

/ˌhɛrəˈtɪk/

/ˈhɛrətɪk/

Other forms: heretics

If your friend became interested in Hinduism, with its many gods and rituals, her Catholic mother might be worried that her daughter was a heretic, or a person whose religious beliefs are in contrast to the fundamental beliefs of her church.

The noun heretic is mostly used in a religious context to talk about someone whose actions or beliefs act against the laws, rules, or beliefs of some specific religion. However, heretic can also be used in a non-religious way to mean "someone whose ideas go against the norm." Say your regular hangout is a cowboy honky-tonk and most of your friends play in country bands; you might be considered a heretic if you announced that your favorite kind of music is actually opera.

Definitions of heretic

1. noun

   a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with official dogma, especially of the Roman Catholic Church
   synonyms: misbeliever, religious outcast

   type of:

   Ishmael, castaway, outcast, pariah

   a person who is rejected (from society or home)
2. noun

   a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion)
   type of:

   nonconformist, recusant

   someone who refuses to conform to established standards of conduct