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Heretic vs Backslider - What's the difference?

heretic | backslider | Synonyms |

Heretic is a synonym of backslider.


As an adjective heretic

is heretical.

As a noun backslider is

a recidivist; one who backslides, especially in a religious sense; an apostate.

heretic

English

Alternative forms

* (archaic), (obsolete), heretick (obsolete), (l) (archaic)

Noun

(en noun)
  • Someone who, in the opinion of others, believes contrary to the fundamental tenets of a religion he claims to belong to.
  • * '>citation
    • In the framework of traditional medical ethics, the patient
    deserves humane attention only insofar as he is potentially
    healthy and is willing to be healthy—just as in the framework
    of traditional Christian ethics, the heretic deserved humane
    attention only insofar as he was potentially a true believer and
    was willing to become one. In the one case, people are
    accepted as human beings only because they might be healthy
    citizens; in the other, only because they might be faithful
    Christians. In short, neither was heresy formerly, nor is sick-
    ness now, given the kind of humane recognition which, from
    the point of view of an ethic of respect and tolerance, they
    deserve.

    Synonyms

    * apostate * withersake

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (archaic) Heretical]]; of or pertaining to heresy or [[#Noun, heretics.

    • Antonyms

    * orthodox

    Related terms

    * heresy * heretical

    Anagrams

    * ----

    backslider

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A recidivist; one who backslides, especially in a religious sense; an apostate.
  • * 1888 , Rudyard Kipling, ‘The Judgement of Dungara’, Black and White , Folio Society 2004, vol. 1, p. 382:
    • At night the Red Elephant Tusk boomed and groaned among the hills, and the faithful waked and said: ‘The God of Things as They Are matures revenge against the backsliders .’
    She married him thinking to change his ways, and for a while he got religion, but he was ever a backslider ; she soon began finding bottles stashed about the house.