agnostic
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ag·nos·tic
(ăg-nŏs′tĭk)n.
1.
a. One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.
b. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.
2. One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.
adj.
1. Relating to or being an agnostic.
2. Doubtful or noncommittal: "Though I am agnostic on what terms to use, I have no doubt that human infants come with an enormous 'acquisitiveness' for discovering patterns" (William H. Calvin).
3. Computers Operable or functioning using any operating system or other digital technology. Often used in combination: software that is platform agnostic.
ag·nos′ti·cal·ly adv.
Word History: Agnostics do not deny the existence of God—instead, they hold that one cannot know for certain whether or not God exists. The term agnostic was coined by the 19th-century British scientist Thomas H. Huxley, who believed that only material phenomena were objects of exact knowledge. He made up the word from the prefix a-, meaning "without, not," as in amoral, and the noun Gnostic. Gnostic is related to the Greek word gnōsis, "knowledge," which was used by early Christian writers to mean "higher, esoteric knowledge of spiritual things"; hence, Gnostic referred to those with such knowledge. In coining the term agnostic, Huxley was considering as "Gnostics" a group of his fellow intellectuals—"ists," as he called them—who had eagerly embraced various doctrines or theories that explained the world to their satisfaction. Because he was a "man without a rag of a label to cover himself with," Huxley coined the term agnostic for himself, its first published use being in 1870.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
agnostic
(æɡˈnɒstɪk)n
1. (Theology) 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
adj
of or relating to agnostics
[C19: coined 1869 by T. H. Huxley from a-1 + gnostic]
agˈnosticism n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ag•nos•tic
(ægˈnɒs tɪk)n.
1. a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as a god or God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable.
adj. 2. of or pertaining to agnostics or agnosticism.
[1869; < Greek ágnōst(os), variant of ágnōtos not known (a- a-6 + gnōtós known, v. adj. of gignṓskein to know) + -ic, after gnostic]
ag•nos′ti•cal•ly, adv.
syn: See atheist.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | agnostic - someone who is doubtful or noncommittal about something |
| 2. | agnostic - a person who claims that they cannot have true knowledge about the existence of God (but does not deny that God might exist) religious person - a person who manifests devotion to a deity | |
| Adj. | 1. | agnostic - of or pertaining to an agnostic or agnosticism |
| 2. | agnostic - uncertain of all claims to knowledge gnostic - possessing intellectual or esoteric knowledge of spiritual things |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
agnostic
noun sceptic, cynic, scoffer, doubter, disbeliever, unbeliever, doubting Thomas, Pyrrhonist He was, if not an atheist, an agnostic.
adjective sceptical, questioning, doubting, cynical, doubtful, scoffing, unconvinced, disbelieving, incredulous, quizzical, mistrustful, unbelieving She grew up in an agnostic household.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
агностик
agnostik
AgnostikerAgnostikerinagnostisch
agnostikkoagnostinen
agnostičkiagnostik
agnostisk
agnostiker
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agnostic
[ægˈnɒstɪk] adj & n → agnostico/aCollins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995