gnostic
1 Americanadjective
-
pertaining to knowledge.
-
possessing knowledge, especially esoteric knowledge of spiritual matters.
-
(initial capital letter) pertaining to or characteristic of the Gnostics.
noun
noun
adjective
adjective
Usage
What does -gnostic mean? The combining form -gnostic is used like a suffix meaning “of or relating to knowledge.” It is occasionally used in scientific and technical terms, especially in medicine. The form -gnostic is a combination of two forms. The first is -gnosis, from Greek gnṓsis, meaning “a seeking to know.” The second is the suffix -ic, from Greek -ikos, which denotes adjectives. What are variants of -gnostic?While -gnostic doesn't have any variants, it is related to the forms -gnosis, as in diagnosis, and -gnomy, as in physiognomy. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on -gnosis and -gnomy.
Other Word Forms
- antignostic adjective
- antignostical adjective
- gnostically adverb
- ungnostic adjective
Etymology
Origin of gnostic1
1555–65; < Late Latin Gnōsticī (plural) name of the sect < Greek gnōstikós (singular) pertaining to knowledge, equivalent to gnōst ( ós ) known + -ikos -ic
Origin of -gnostic2
< Medieval Latin -gnōsticus < Greek gnōstikós pertaining to knowledge
Explanation
The adjective gnostic describes something related to mysterious intellectual or spiritual knowledge. That gnostic text you've been trying to read is mystical and a little bit obscure. The word gnostic comes from the Greek word gnostikos, meaning "knowing" or "able to discern." If the word has a capital "G" — Gnostic — it describes something related to Gnosticism, a form of nonconventional mystical Christianity that emerged in the 2nd century and is still considered heretical by many Christians. Used more broadly gnostic can describe something that has mystical knowledge, especially related to spirituality.
Vocabulary lists containing gnostic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Edgar Calel’s dimly lighted installation, in which stones and plant matter dangle over vessels that hold flickering, electronic flames, transports us to a contemplative gnostic ritual.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
Joined by about a dozen longtime collaborators and close family members, he leads the ensemble in a few traditional songs and a handful of originals built on gnostic, historically grounded lyrics and drifting, driving rhythms.
From New York Times • Jul. 27, 2023
The room was silent — no beating hearts, ticking clocks or gnostic ravens — except for the creak of a chair and the soft flutter of a turning page.
From Washington Post • Mar. 11, 2022
We can feel its gnostic effects on our everyday reality, but we rarely see it, and it’s quite inscrutable to non-initiates.
From Slate • Oct. 14, 2019
The motives of asceticism were the apprehension of the end of the world, enthusiasm, dualistic philosophy, fear of sensuality, and gnostic doctrines.
From Folkways A Study of the Sociological Importance of Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals by Sumner, William Graham
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
