atheist

noun

athe·ist ˈā-thē-ist

Synonyms of atheist next

: a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods : one who subscribes to or advocates atheism

atheistic

ˌā-thē-ˈi-stik

adjective

or atheistical

ˌā-thē-ˈi-sti-kəl

atheistically

ˌā-thē-ˈi-sti-k(ə-)lē

adverb

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How Agnostic Differs From Atheist

Atheist and agnostic appear in the same contexts but are distinct in meaning. Atheist refers to someone who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods. Agnostic has two relevant meanings: it can refer to someone who holds the view that any ultimate reality, such as God, is unknown and probably unknowable, or it can refer to someone who is not committed to believing in either the existence or nonexistence of God or a god.

Agnostic first appeared in print in 1869 (it was possibly coined by the English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley), and was formed from the Greek agnōstos, meaning "unknown, unknowable." Atheist came to English from the French athéisme. Although both words share the prefix a-, meaning "without," the main body of each word is quite different. Agnostic ultimately comes from the Greek root gignōskein, meaning "know" (also the source of such words as know and prognosis). Atheist shares the root theo, meaning "god," with such words as theology and theism.

Examples of atheist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Trump was right, therefore, to highlight the issue in his Christmas greeting to China's atheists. —

Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025 And just like most Christians don't view government neutrality as some sort of attack, most atheists have zero qualms about private Nativity scenes. —

Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024 Melina Cohen is the communications director for American Atheists, a national nonprofit working to protect civil rights, advance political equality, achieve social inclusion, and empower atheists and other nonreligious people through advocacy, education, and community building. —

Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024 Black Non-Believers Often Conceal Their Beliefs While Networking Sadly, Black atheists and agnostics feel pressure to hide their secularism in professional settings in order to maintain relationships. —

Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for atheist