semi-Arianism, a 4th-century Trinitarian heresy in the Christian church. Though it modified the extreme position of Arianism, it still fell short of the church’s orthodox teaching that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are of the same substance.
Arius held that the Father and the Son are of distinct essences or substances (ousiai) and that the Son derived his divinity from the Father, was created in time, and is inferior to the Father. Semi-Arians, however, admitted that the Son is “of similar substance” (homoiousios) with the Father but not of one substance (homoousios) with him. This doctrinal controversy, revolving around two words distinguished by a single iota (ι), gave rise to the popular expression, “It makes not one iota of difference.” To Orthodox Christians, however, the iota was of great importance. Both Arianism and semi-Arianism were condemned at the Council of Nicaea (325).