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

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.

The word agnostic was coined by the English biologist T.H. Huxley in 1869 as a member of the now defunct Metaphysical Society, in response to what he perceived as an abundance there of strongly held beliefs. The original usage of the term was confined to philosophy and religion, and referred to Huxley's assertion that anything beyond the material world, including the existence and nature of God, was unknowable. Today the word can be seen applied to questions of politics, culture, and science, as when someone claims to be a “political agnostic.”
In a more recent trend, one can be agnostic simply by not taking a stand on something. In 2010, President Obama called himself “agnostic” on tax cuts until he had seen all available options. At a forum on sustainable energy in 2008, GE CEO Jeff Immelt said he was “fuel agnostic.” In technology, software or hardware can be said to be agnostic as well. Computer code that can run on any operating system is called “platform agnostic,” and such services as phone and electric may be considered “agnostic” if not dedicated to a particular carrier, device, or user interface.

—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.

C19: coined 1869 by T. H. Huxley from a- 1 + gnostic