infidel

Definition of infidelnext
as in dissenter
disapproving a person who does not believe in a religion that someone regards as the true religion The theocracy regarded as infidels anyone that did not practice their religion.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of infidel During the Crusades, the Inquisition, and countless pogroms, Jews were demonized as infidels who refused to abandon their faith, even under threat of death. Avi Weiss, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2025 Some Muslim men believe that the reward for killing infidels is 72 virgins in the afterlife. Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2025 Khomeini declared jihad against Kurdish resistance groups, labeling them infidels, separatists and agents of Israel and the United States. Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 28 June 2025 Many of Hazimi’s former followers, for instance, have declared him and his followers infidels and now adhere to the teachings of a figure named Hilmi Hashimi. Vera Mironova, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2017 See All Example Sentences for infidel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infidel
Noun
  • Demanding papers, dragging away dissenters.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Tanenbaum is his sixth sitting justice, leaving the senior justice, Jorge Labarga, as a lonely dissenter facing mandatory retirement in October 2027.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • But, a renegade locomotive is careening toward Los Angeles in its place.
    Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Holding hands, terrace kisses and renegade servants?
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Peppering dashes of humor into its brew of foreboding, the movie views the rise of an authoritarian movement through its effect on a family of unbelievers, covering a five-year period that begins in celebration and ends somewhere very different.
    Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
  • No one ever converted an unbeliever with harshness, condemnation, and threats of hell.
    Sophia A. Nelson, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Advertisement But pro-democracy figures have argued that local governance has grown increasingly aligned with the mainland as political dissidents have either been jailed or exiled, organizations have disbanded, and a free press dismantled.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Beijing’s national security law has transformed Hong Kong, with authorities jailing dozens of dissidents; forcing civil society groups and outspoken media outlets to disband; and neutering the city’s once-raucous political scene.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Infidel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infidel. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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