misbeliever
/'misbi'li:və/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church: Historically, this term specifically referred to someone whose religious doctrines were considered heretical or incorrect by the Roman Catholic Church.
- A person who holds unorthodox or false religious beliefs; a heretic: More broadly, it can refer to any person who adheres to beliefs considered erroneous or deviant from an established religious orthodoxy.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- During the Inquisition, anyone labeled a misbeliever faced severe persecution.
- The medieval text condemned the misbeliever for rejecting the central tenets of the faith.
Advanced Usage
- The term misbeliever is now largely archaic and carries strong historical and pejorative connotations. It is primarily found in historical or theological texts discussing heresy and religious conflict.
- It implies a judgment from the perspective of the speaker's orthodoxy. For example, a Protestant might have been called a misbeliever by a Catholic authority in the 16th century.
Variants and Related Words
- Misbelief (n): A false or unorthodox religious belief.
- His teachings were dismissed as misbelief by the council.
- Misbelieve (v, archaic): To hold a false or unorthodox belief.
- To misbelieve was a dangerous act in that era.
Synonyms
- Heretic: A person who holds beliefs contrary to the orthodox doctrines of a church.
- Infidel: A term often used historically to denote a person who does not believe in a particular religion (especially Christianity or Islam).
- Nonconformist: A person who does not conform to established doctrines or practices.
Antonyms
- Orthodox believer: A person who adheres to the accepted or traditional doctrines of a religion.
- Faithful: Those who are loyal to a particular faith and its established teachings.
Related Idioms/Phrases
- To brand someone a misbeliever: To publicly label someone as a holder of heretical views.
- The faction sought to brand their rivals as misbelievers to discredit them.
Noun
- a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church