n. /her"i tik/ ; adj. /her"i tik, heuh ret"ik/ , n.
1. a professed believer who maintains religious opinions contrary to those accepted by his or her church or rejects doctrines prescribed by that church.
2. Rom. Cath. Ch. a baptized Roman Catholic who willfully and persistently rejects any article of faith.
3. anyone who does not conform to an established attitude, doctrine, or principle.
adj.
4. heretical.
[ 1300-50; ME heretik heretique haereticus hairetikós able to choose (LGk: heretical), equiv. to hairet ( ós ) that may be taken (verbal adj. of haireîn to choose) + -ikos -IC ]
Syn. 1. apostate, backslider, recreant, protestant. 3. dissenter, skeptic, freethinker.