# heresy

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhɛɹəsi/ · frequency rank #18,334

## Definitions
1. A doctrine held by a member of a religion at variance or conflict with established religious beliefs.
2. A controversial or unorthodox opinion held by a member of a group, as in politics, philosophy or science.

## Etymology
From Middle English heresie, from Old French heresie (modern hérésie), from Latin haeresis, from Ancient Greek αἵρεσις (haíresis, “choice, system of principles”), from αἱρέομαι (hairéomai, “to take for oneself, to choose”), the middle voice of αἱρέω (hairéō, “to take”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ser-; see also Welsh herw (“theft, raid”), Ancient Greek στερέω (steréō, “to deprive of”).

## Easily confused with
- **hers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heresy-vs-hers)
- **heroes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heresy-vs-heroes)
- **herpes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heresy-vs-herpes)
- **Hermes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heresy-vs-hermes)
- **Hervey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heresy-vs-hervey)
- **here** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/here-vs-heresy)
- **hares** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hares-vs-heresy)
- **here's** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/here-s-vs-heresy)
- **herein** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/herein-vs-heresy)
- **hereby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hereby-vs-heresy)
- **hereof** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hereof-vs-heresy)
- **heiress** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heiress-vs-heresy)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ehresy`, `heersy`, `heressy`, `heresyy`, `hereys`, `herresy`, `hersey`, `hheresy`, `hreesy`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/heresy