Heterodoxies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A set of beliefs or opinions that differ from established doctrines or orthodox views in any field
2. various schools of thought that challenge mainstream ideologies and accepted practices
3. differing interpretations or approaches to a subject that deviate from conventional beliefs and traditions

Etymology: "Heterodoxies" is the plural of "heterodoxy," a noun for opinions or beliefs that depart from an accepted doctrine. The base word comes from Ancient Greek "heterodoxía," built from "héteros," meaning "other" or "different," and "dóxa," meaning "opinion" or "belief." Its literal sense is "other opinion," a plain description of a view standing apart from the prevailing one. The Greek root "dóxa" also sits behind "orthodoxy," which uses "orthós," meaning "right" or "straight." Orthodoxy is the "right opinion," and heterodoxy is its counterpart, the "other opinion." The pair shows how Greek speakers could describe belief simply by where it stood relative to what was considered correct.