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Heretic

1. One who holds to a heresy; one who believes some doctrine contrary to the established faith or prevailing religion. A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject. (Titus III. 10)

2. One who having made a profession of Christian belief, deliberately and pertinaciously refuses to believe one or more of the articles of faith determined by the authority of the universal church.

Synonym: heretic, Schismatic, Sectarian.

a heretic is one whose errors are doctrinal, and usually of a malignant character, tending to subvert the true faith. A schismatic is one who creates a schism, or division in the church, on points of faith, discipline, practice, etc, usually for the sake of personal aggrandizement. A sectarian is one who originates or is an ardent adherent and advocate of a sect, or distinct organization, which separates from the main body of believers.

Origin: L. Haereticus, gr. Able to choose, heretical, fr. To take, choose: cf. F. Heretique. See heresy.