# heretic

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhɛɹɪtɪk/ · frequency rank #28,948

## Definitions
1. Someone whose beliefs are contrary to the fundamental tenets of a religion they claim to belong to.
2. Someone who does not conform to generally accepted beliefs or practices.

## Etymology
From Middle English heretyk, heretike, from Old French eretique, from Medieval Latin or Ecclesiastical Latin haereticus, from Ancient Greek αἱρετικός (hairetikós, “able to choose, factious”), itself from Ancient Greek αἱρέω (hairéō, “I choose”).

## Easily confused with
- **heroic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heretic-vs-heroic)
- **hermetic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heretic-vs-hermetic)
- **heretical** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heretic-vs-heretical)
- **herein** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/herein-vs-heretic)
- **hectic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hectic-vs-heretic)
- **hepatic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hepatic-vs-heretic)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ehretic`, `heertic`, `hereitc`, `heretci`, `hereticc`, `herettic`, `herretic`, `herteic`, `hheretic`, `hreetic`

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