heresy

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈhɛɹəsi/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English heresie, borrowed from Old French heresie, eresie,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Late Latin haeresis (“school of thought, sect”),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Ancient Greek αἵρεσις (haíresis, “a taking, a choosing; faction, sect”),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from haireîsthai “to choose”, the middle voice of haireîn “to take”.^[2][3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Religious opinion or doctrine contrary to the orthodox doctrine of the Church (before 1225 in the OED; c. 1200 in Etymonline).^[7][4][3]

Semantic evolution

Greek haíresis meant a choice, and then a philosophical school or sect,^[4] and Church writers used it of the various sects of the New Testament, such as the Sadducees and Pharisees.^[4][6] Christian writers in Late Latin gave it the sense of an unorthodox sect or doctrine,^[4] though English Bibles usually translate it as “sect”.^[4] The extended sense, an opinion in philosophy, politics or science at variance with accepted views, dates from about 1385.^[7]

Timeline

• before 1225 – a religious opinion contrary to orthodoxy.^[7][3]
• 1303 – an instance of heresy.^[7]
• 1340 – heretic.^[3]
• 1382 – a sect or school (obsolete).^[7]
• c. 1385 – an unorthodox opinion in any field.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. An opinion or doctrine contrary to established religious belief, especially the rejection of Roman Catholic dogma by a baptized member of the Church.
2. Adherence to such an opinion or doctrine.
3. A controversial or unorthodox opinion in politics, philosophy, science or any field, or adherence to it.

Related words

• heresiarch
• heretic
• heretical
• orthodoxy
• dogma

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press