agnostic

13 synonyms and 1 antonym for agnostic, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adj — Believing it is impossible to know for certain whether God or gods exist.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

neutral

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

doubtful skeptical questioning impartial indifferent

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

unconvinced undecided agnostical unbiased skeptic doubter questioner

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adj

Believing it is impossible to know for certain whether God or gods exist.

“She describes herself as agnostic rather than atheist.”

doubtful skeptical unconvinced questioning undecided agnostical

Opposites

gnostic

2. adj

Not holding a firm opinion either way on something, especially a technical choice.

“The app is platform-agnostic and works on both phones and computers.”

neutral impartial unbiased indifferent

3. noun

A person who believes it can't be known for certain whether God exists.

“He grew up religious but became an agnostic in college.”

skeptic doubter questioner

How to use agnostic

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

agnostic about platform-agnostic religiously agnostic

Etymology

Coined in 1870 by the scientist Thomas Henry Huxley from Greek a- ("not") + gnostos ("known"), to describe someone who neither affirms nor denies the existence of God.

Full origin of agnostic →

Frequently asked questions

What does “agnostic” mean?

The word “agnostic” means believing it is impossible to know for certain whether God or gods exist. In plain terms, someone (or something) that stays neutral — not claiming to know for sure whether God exists, or not favouring one option over another.

How do you pronounce “agnostic”?

“Agnostic” is pronounced ag-NOS-tihk (/æɡˈnɑstɪk/ in IPA).

How do you use “agnostic” in a sentence?

Here is “agnostic” used in a sentence: “She describes herself as agnostic rather than atheist.”

What part of speech is “agnostic”?

Depending on how it is used, “agnostic” can be an adjective and a noun.

Where does the word “agnostic” come from?

The word “agnostic” dates back to around 1870 and comes from Greek. Coined in 1870 by the scientist Thomas Henry Huxley from Greek a- ("not") + gnostos ("known"), to describe someone who neither affirms nor denies the existence of God.

How many meanings does “agnostic” have?

“Agnostic” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: believing it is impossible to know for certain whether God or gods exist.

What does "agnostic" mean?

Agnostic describes someone who believes it is impossible to know for certain whether God or gods exist — neither affirming nor denying, but holding that the question can't be settled with certainty.

What is the difference between agnostic and atheist?

An atheist does not believe a god exists. An agnostic takes a different position: that whether a god exists can't be known for certain either way. Someone can be both agnostic and atheist at the same time — agnostic about certainty, atheist about belief.

Can "agnostic" be used outside religion?

Yes. Outside religion, "agnostic" describes someone who deliberately avoids taking a firm position on a technical choice — for example, being "platform-agnostic" means working equally well regardless of which platform is used.

Is agnostic a noun or an adjective?

Both. As an adjective, it describes a belief or stance ("an agnostic view"). As a noun, it names a person who holds that belief ("she is an agnostic").

People also searched

neutral questioning skeptical doubtful impartial indifferent unbiased undecided unconvinced doubter questioner skeptic

Nearby words

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