infidel

[in-fi-dl, -del]

noun

1. Religion.,  a person who does not accept a particular faith, especially Christianity or Islam.

2. a person who has no religious faith; unbeliever.

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

   When it came to ghosts, he was a self-confessed infidel.

adjective

1. Often Disparaging and Offensive.,  not accepting a particular faith, especially Christianity or Islam.

2. without religious faith.

3. Also infidelic of, relating to, or characteristic of unbelievers.

4. relating to or showing unbelief.

   Our infidel ideas about artificial intelligence make us pariahs in the academic community.

infidel

/ ˈɪnfɪdəl /

noun

1. a person who has no religious belief; unbeliever

adjective

1. rejecting a specific religion, esp Christianity or Islam

2. of, characteristic of, or relating to unbelievers or unbelief

Word History and Origins

Origin of infidel¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Late Latin infidēlis “unbelieving,” Latin: “unfaithful, treacherous”; in- ³, feal ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of infidel¹

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

Synonym Study

See agnostic.

Example Sentences

Prosecutors on Thursday told the court that Wassim Al M. had "internalised IS ideology, rejected the Western way of life, and was convinced that a holy war against infidels must be waged worldwide".

Read more on Barron's

"They told us that the world had become infidel and godless, and only martyrdom would take a person to heaven," he says.

Read more on BBC

Popes frequently condemned trade with infidels, but some Italians replied, “Trade should be free and unhindered, even into the gates of Hell.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He starred in slickly produced government-created videos portraying the Border Patrol as warriors on a divine mission to make the City of Angeles safe from immigrant infidels.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

During the civil war, the Druze were largely unwilling to ally with Assad but were wary of the opposition, which was dominated by hard-line Sunni Islamist groups, some of whom viewed Druze as infidels.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agnostic