infidel

[ in-fi-dl, -del ]

/ ˈɪn fɪ dl, -ˌdɛl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR infidel ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Religion.

a person who does not accept a particular faith, especially Christianity.
(in Christian use) an unbeliever, especially a Muslim.
(in Muslim use) a person who does not accept the Islamic faith; kafir(def 2).

a person who has no religious faith; unbeliever.

(loosely) a person who disbelieves or doubts a particular theory, belief, creed, etc.; skeptic.

adjective

not accepting a particular faith, especially Christianity or Islam; heathen.

without religious faith.

due to or manifesting unbelief: infidel ideas.

rejecting the Christian religion while accepting no other; not believing in the Bible or any Christian divine revelation.

Also in·fi·del·ic

[in-fi-del-ik] /ˌɪn fɪˈdɛl ɪk/. of, relating to, or characteristic of unbelievers or infidels.

Nearby words

infest, infestation, infeudation, infibulate, infibulation, infidel, infidelity, infield, infield hit, infield out, infielder

Origin of infidel

1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin infidēlis “unbelieving,” Latin: “unfaithful, treacherous.” See in-³, feal

Synonym study

1–3. See agnostic.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for infidel

Leaflets were widely distributed during that era saying that facial covering was what separated the Muslim woman from the infidel.
Saudi Activist Manal Al-Sharif on Why She Removed the Veil|Manal Al Sharif, Advancing Human Rights|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is immaterial if the infidel is a combatant or a civilian.
The CIA’s Wrong: Arming Rebels Works|Christopher Dickey|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Safi makes the same threat toward other villagers and warns them never again to help a wounded “infidel” soldier.
The Afghan Village That Saved Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell|Sami Yousafzai, Ron Moreau|November 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
From inside the apartment, he could hear people calling him an infidel and debating whether to kill him on the spot.
Activist Arrested Over ‘Innocence’ Allegations|Mike Giglio|September 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST

I was, of course, a woman; I was an infidel; and I was alone.
Top Afghan General: Taliban Defeat Would Take Less Than a Year|Magsie Hamilton-Little|July 31, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Saint and sinner, believer and infidel, are alike under this compulsion in matters moral—and in all matters.
St. Cuthbert's|Robert E. Knowles
Now the infidel knows no rest; activity is the law of his existence.
The Young Priest's Keepsake|Michael Phelan
The infidel, the heretic, was to be run down like a mad dog.
The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, Vol. 2 (of 4)|Thomas Babington Macaulay
It was your honour, sire, which that day fell beneath the infidel axe.
The Days of Chivalry|Ernest Louis Victor Jules L'Epine
I have known places where the owners of a large tract of land were clergymen, and the foreman was an infidel.
The Minute Man of the Frontier|W. G. Puddefoot

British Dictionary definitions for infidel

infidel

/ (ˈɪnfɪdəl) /

noun

a person who has no religious belief; unbeliever

adjective

rejecting a specific religion, esp Christianity or Islam

of, characteristic of, or relating to unbelievers or unbelief

Word Origin for infidel

C15: from Medieval Latin infidēlis, from Latin (adj): unfaithful, from in- 1 + fidēlis faithful; see feal

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012