agnostic

American  

[ag-nos-tik] / ægˈnɒs tɪk /

noun

1. a person who holds that the answers to the basic questions of existence, such as the nature of the ultimate cause and whether or not there is a supreme being, are unknown or unknowable.

   Synonyms:

   pagan, infidel, heretic, heathen, empiricism, secularism, skeptic, doubter, unbeliever, nonbeliever, disbeliever

2. a person who denies or doubts the possibility of ultimate knowledge in some area of study.

3. a person who holds neither of two opposing positions on a topic.

   Socrates was an agnostic on the subject of immortality.

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adjective

1. of or relating to agnostics or their doctrines, attitudes, or beliefs.

2. asserting the uncertainty of all claims to knowledge.

3. not taking a stand on something, especially not holding either of two usually strongly opposed positions (often used in combination).

   He's known to take an agnostic view of technological progress.

   The governor's fuel-agnostic energy policies were highly controversial.

4. (especially of digital technology) not limited or dedicated to a particular device, system, etc. (often used in combination).

   platform agnostic software.

agnostic British  

/ æɡˈnɒstɪk /

noun

1. a person who holds that knowledge of a Supreme Being, ultimate cause, etc, is impossible Compare atheist theist

2. a person who claims, with respect to any particular question, that the answer cannot be known with certainty

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adjective

1. of or relating to agnostics

Synonym Usage

Agnostic, atheist, infidel, skeptic refer to persons not inclined toward religious belief or a particular form of religious belief. An agnostic is one who believes it impossible to know anything about God or about the creation of the universe, or who refrains from commitment to any religious doctrine because of a lack of knowledge about God or the creation of the universe. An atheist is one who does not believe in or denies the existence of a deity or of divine beings. Infidel means an unbeliever, especially a nonbeliever in Islam or Christianity, and is often disparaging and offensive, in contrast to atheist and agnostic, which are often used in self-identification. A skeptic doubts and is critical of all accepted doctrines and creeds; while a person may self-identify in this way, the term can also be applied by others.

Pop Culture

—Agnostic Front: A New York punk band, considered at the forefront of the New York hardcore music scene. Founded in 1983, in existence for over 25 years.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• agnosticism
  noun
• agnostically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of agnostic

Coined in 1869 by English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95); from Greek ágnōst(os), variant of ágnōtos “not known, incapable of being known” ( a- “not, without” + gnōtós “known,” adjective derivative of gignṓskein “to know”) + -ic , after gnostic ; see a- ⁶

Explanation

If someone believes they cannot know whether or not God exists, that person is an agnostic. Your grandmother might be a devout believer, while your mom is agnostic. In 1869, English biologist T.H. Huxley coined this noun referring to someone whose religious beliefs lie somewhere in between those of a theist and an atheist — that is, a believer and a disbeliever. Huxley combined the Greek prefix a-, meaning "not," with gnostos, "known." This word can be used as a noun or adjective, and it can also refer to uncertainty about questions other than the existence of God: "Some philosophers remain agnostic as to whether people have free will."

Example Sentences

Several punk rock artists have signed on to act as tour guides, including Roger Miret of Agnostic Front and Louiche Mayorga of Suicidal Tendencies.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 21, 2022

Progress is already being made on both fronts, according to study co-author Heather Graham of the NASA-funded Laboratory for Agnostic Biosignatures and the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

From Scientific American • Jul. 16, 2021

The virus lockdown gave him R&B; fever, and “First Agnostic Church of Hope and Wonder” is filled with funky rhythms while Snider makes like Sly Stoner.

From Washington Times • Apr. 20, 2021

Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma and their band Agnostic Front remain relevant in the New York music scene.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 26, 2019

Between the Christian and the Agnostic there is the difference of assertion and question—between "There is a God" and "Is there a God?"

From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 12 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Miscellany by Ingersoll, Robert Green

Related Words

• skeptic