HERESY

noun (plural -sies) Etymology: Middle English heresie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin haeresis, from Late Greek hairesis, from Greek, action of taking, choice, sect, from hairein to take Date: 13th century 1. adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma, denial of a revealed truth by a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church, an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma, 2. dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice, an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards