nounnounnoun
der Ketzer, –
heretic
Eine Person, die eine andere religiöse oder kirchliche Lehre vertritt, als die, die allgemein anerkannt ist.
The German word "Ketzer" is a noun meaning "heretic".
- It refers to a person who holds religious beliefs that are contrary to official or orthodox doctrines.
- The base word here is "Ketz(er)" itself, which doesn't break down into smaller meaningful German words but comes from medieval religious contexts.
Similar words:
- Häretiker (heretic) – more formal, derived from theological terminology.
- Abtrünniger (apostate, defector) – someone who abandons a belief or cause.
Difference:
- "Ketzer" often has a strong historical and religious connotation, usually used in a somewhat negative or accusatory sense.
- "Häretiker" is more formal and theological.
- "Abtrünniger" emphasizes betrayal or leaving a group, not necessarily with doctrinal contradiction.
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Examples
Der Ketzer wurde von der Kirche verfolgt.noun
The heretic was persecuted by the church.
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