adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈhɛt.(ə.)ɹəˌdɒks/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˈhɛt.ɚ.əˌdɑks/
CMU ARPABET:HH EH1 T ER0 AH0 D AA2 K S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings, especially religious ones, that are different from what a religion (or sect) believes to be orthodox, but (usually) not conflicting with that religion's established beliefs and therefore not heretical.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Most Christian denominations consider each other heterodox.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: inorthodox, nonorthodox, unorthodox
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Beliefs contrary to the general consensus.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dissident, heretical
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἑτερόδοξος (heteródoxos), from ἕτερος (héteros, “other, another, different”) + δόξα (dóxa, “opinion”).
Across languages
Translations
25 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Old Armenian:
այլափառ
(aylapʻaṙ)
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Basque:
heterodoxo
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Belarusian:
неартадаксальны
(njeartadaksalʹny)
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Bulgarian:
неправоверен
(nepravoveren)
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Bulgarian:
еретичен
(eretičen)
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Catalan:
heterodox
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Chinese Mandarin:
異端的 /异端的
(yìduān de)
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Finnish:
heterodoksinen
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Finnish:
eriuskoinen
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
French:
hétérodoxe
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Galician:
heterodoxo
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
German:
heterodox
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Greek:
αλλόδοξος
(allódoxos)
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Irish:
heitreadocsach
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Italian:
eterodosso
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Italian:
dissidente
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Italian:
dissenziente
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Italian:
eretico
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Italian:
scismatico
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Japanese:
異端な
(itan na)
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Portuguese:
heterodoxo
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Russian:
неортодокса́льный
(neortodoksálʹnyj)
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Spanish:
heterodoxo
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Swedish:
irrlärig
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
Swedish:
heterodox
— of or pertaining to creeds, beliefs, or teachings that are different from the norm
