Hereticalness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of holding beliefs or opinions that deviate from established religious doctrines or orthodoxy
2. A characteristic marked by the expression of unorthodox or nonconforming beliefs, particularly in a religious context
3. The condition of subscribing to ideas or practices that are considered unaccepted or controversial within a traditional belief system

Etymology: "Hereticalness" is a plain formation: the adjective "heretical" with the suffix "-ness" attached, turning a quality into a noun for that quality. "Heretical" itself comes from "heretic," which traces back through Latin "haereticus" to Greek "hairetikos," meaning "able to choose," from "hairesis," a choice or sect. The original sense was neutral, a matter of selecting a school of thought, and only later did it take on the charge of religious dissent. The suffix "-ness" is an old Germanic element, familiar from words like "kindness" and "darkness," and it attaches readily to adjectives describing states or qualities. Attaching it to "heretical" yields a word for the condition of holding or expressing views that depart from accepted doctrine. It is a formation that English builds on demand, so it appears mainly in theological or scholarly writing rather than everyday speech.

Synonyms: heresy, apostasy, dissent, nonconformity, schism

Antonyms: orthodoxy, conformity, faithfulness, orthodoxy