agnosticism

American  

[ag-nos-tuh-siz-uhm] / ægˈnɒs təˌsɪz əm /

noun

1. the belief 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.

2. an intellectual doctrine or attitude affirming the uncertainty of all claims to ultimate knowledge.

3. an attitude or view that does not conform to either of two opposing positions on a topic.

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agnosticism Cultural  

1. A denial of knowledge about whether there is or is not a God. An agnostic insists that it is impossible to prove that there is no God and impossible to prove that there is one. (Compare atheism.)

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Etymology

Origin of agnosticism

First recorded in 1870–75; agnostic ( def. ) + -ism ( def. )

Example Sentences

Agnosticism doesn’t mean you’re lazy or don’t care.

From Scientific American • May 20, 2020

Agnosticism is often denigrated as a passive worldview, the philosophical equivalent of a shrug.

From Scientific American • Oct. 29, 2017

Agnosticism of beliefs makes sense in cases where evidence isn’t populous or clear enough to render a clear conclusion on the absolutism of something in question.

From Forbes • Dec. 14, 2012

Agnosticism is surely not; it is a shrug, a raised eyebrow.

From Time Magazine Archive

He said that Agnosticism and all that kind of thing was bad form.

From The Dop Doctor by Dehan, Richard

Related Words

• ambiguity
• apprehension
• confusion
• difficulty
• disbelief
• distrust
• fear
• hesitation
• misgiving
• mistrust
• problem
• qualm
• reluctance
• skepticism
• suspense
• suspicion
• uncertainty