heresiarch

Meaning

Noun

• The founder of a heresy, or a major ecclesiastical proponent of such a heresy.

Origin

• Borrowed from French hérésiarque, from Ecclesiastical Latin haeresiarcha (or directly from the Latin word), from ecclesiastical Byzantine Greek αἱρεσιάρχης ("leader of a sect"), from Ancient Greek αἵρεσῐς ("heresy") + -ᾰ́ρχης, corresponding to heresy + -arch.