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Which scientist, nicknamed "Darwin's Bulldog," coined the word agnostic?

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agnostic

American  

[ag-nos-tik] / ægˈnɒs tɪk /

noun

agnostics plural

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• agnostics
  plural

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

See Examples For:

agnostic agnostics

California Rep. Jared Huffman is one of just four openly agnostic or religiously unaffiliated lawmakers and is by far the most outspoken.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

Tory Gavito, the president of Way to Win, a progressive donor network and research organization, told Salon that she sees the autopsy as basically agnostic on what, if anything, the Democrats should stand for.

From Salon ● May 22, 2026

The team introduces the concept of an "agnostic biosignature," which avoids relying on detailed knowledge of what life is or how it operates.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2026

They are agnostic about the health of brands.

From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026

He was born Jewish, but became an agnostic when he was a teenager, partly because of all that had happened to him as a child.

From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom

They include rabid Ukrainian patriots, political agnostics and diehard Russophiles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

Among modern-day atheists, agnostics and deists alike, stories often emerge of late-arriving regrets, both over a dying person's treatment of others and their treatment of themselves.

From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2025

The religiously unaffiliated, including atheists and agnostics, made up 13% of global migrants who have left their country of birth.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2024

And in a group of atheists and agnostics, Spirituality of Science predicted measures of well-being and meaning in life, paralleling the positive effects of religion that is frequently observed in religious people.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2023

Most of my friends had been raised as Protestants or Jews; many referred to themselves as agnostics.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

Related Words

• skeptic