Apostatical

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌæpəsˈtætɪkəl/

Definitions

1. Pertaining to or characteristic of the act of abandoning or renouncing a religious or political belief
2. Connected with the rejection or desertion of a previously held faith or allegiance
3. Describing anything associated with the formal disavowal of loyalty to a doctrine or party

Etymology: Apostatical is the adjective form of "apostate," which comes from Greek "apostatēs," meaning "one who stands away" or "deserter," built from "apo-" (away from) and "histanai" (to stand). Greek writers used the root for someone who abandoned a cause, party, or allegiance, and the idea of defection carried over naturally into religious contexts. The Greek noun passed into Latin as "apostata" and later reached English through Church Latin and Old French, where it was used of those who renounced their faith. The "-ical" ending is a common English suffix attached to nouns to make adjectives, so "apostatical" simply means "of or relating to apostasy," with the same sense of abandoning one's former belief.