apostate
What does "apostate" mean?
An apostate is someone who has completely abandoned their previous religious or political beliefs, principles, or party. The mental image is of someone physically walking away from a group or altar they once served, often implying a deliberate and public renunciation of their former identity. The term carries a strong sense of betrayal or heresy, particularly in religious contexts, and is rarely used to describe a casual change of opinion. It is a formal, often charged word that suggests the person has not just changed their mind, but has actively turned against the core tenets of their original community.
"apostate" in conversation
Debating history
Was he really an apostate, or did he just find a new philosophy?
Was he really an apostate, or did he just find a new philosophy?
He openly burned his old texts in the square; I think that counts as apostasy.
He openly burned his old texts in the square; I think that counts as apostasy.
Used to describe a dramatic break from a belief system.
Political gossip
The party loyalists are calling the senator an apostate for voting with the opposition.
The party loyalists are calling the senator an apostate for voting with the opposition.
That is harsh, he is just trying to find some middle ground.
That is harsh, he is just trying to find some middle ground.
Shows how the term can be used hyperbolically in political contexts.
"apostate" in a sentence
The priest was branded an apostate after he began questioning the church's core teachings.
The priest was branded an apostate after he began questioning the church's core teachings.
History often remembers the apostate more vividly than the faithful, as they represent a rupture in the status quo.
History often remembers the apostate more vividly than the faithful, as they represent a rupture in the status quo.
The regime viewed any defector as an apostate, framing the act of fleeing not just as a departure, but as a moral betrayal of the state.
The regime viewed any defector as an apostate, framing the act of fleeing not just as a departure, but as a moral betrayal of the state.
