What does apostatize mean?
To apostatize means to abandon or formally renounce one's religious faith, political allegiance, or deeply held principles. The word derives from the Greek 'apostasis', meaning 'a standing away', and entered English through ecclesiastical Latin, where it has long been associated with religious defection. In its dominant modern sense, it describes someone who leaves a religion they once professed — often under pressure, persecution, or crisis of conscience — though it can also describe deserting a political party or cause. Apostatize is a formal, literary word, rarely heard in casual conversation but common in theology, history, and discussions of conscience. It carries weighty connotations: within many religious traditions, apostasy is regarded as a grave betrayal, while secular usage may frame it more neutrally as a change of conviction. Related terms include the noun 'apostate', for the person who defects, and 'apostasy', the act itself. The verb usually appears with 'from', as in 'to apostatize from one's faith'. Its dramatic history and moral gravity make it a powerful word for describing profound reversals of loyalty.
verbTo abandon one's religious faith, political allegiance, or deeply held principles; specifically, to renounce a former belief system or loyalty.
- To abandon or renounce one's religious faith or allegiance to a religious community.
- To renounce a political allegiance, party, cause, or set of formerly held principles.
"After years of doubt, he finally apostatized and left the church entirely."
"Under threat of exile, the scholar refused to apostatize, holding firm to his convictions."
"The senator was accused of apostatizing from the party's founding principles after voting with the opposition."
The word 'apostatize' comes from the Greek 'apostasis' — literally 'a standing away' — so every apostate is, etymologically, someone who has taken a stand apart.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of apostatize
Apostatize traces back to the Greek 'apostasis', meaning 'defection' or 'a standing away', formed from 'apo-' ('away from') and 'stasis' ('a standing'). The term passed into ecclesiastical Latin as 'apostasia' and 'apostata', referring to those who abandoned the Christian faith, before entering English in the early modern period alongside its siblings 'apostate' and 'apostasy'. All three share the same Greek root, which also underlies related words such as 'apostle' in its broader sense of 'one sent forth'.
Related word forms
How apostatize is actually used
Formal and relatively rare in everyday speech; most common in religious, historical, and academic contexts. It carries a strongly negative connotation in many religious traditions, where apostasy is treated as a serious betrayal. The verb typically takes 'from' when specifying what is being abandoned (e.g., 'apostatize from Islam').
Easily confused with apostatize
An apostate is a noun naming a person who has abandoned their faith, while apostatize is the verb describing the act of doing so.
Apostasy is the noun for the act or condition of abandoning a faith, whereas apostatize is the verb meaning to commit it.