atheism

noun

athe·ism ˈā-thē-ˌi-zəm

: a lack of belief or a strong disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods

: a philosophical or religious position characterized by disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods

archaic : godlessness especially in conduct : ungodliness, wickedness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Despite its atheism, the ruling Chinese Communist Party sends off its deceased leaders with a near-religious solemnity, and its ceremony to commemorate Mr. Jiang, who died Wednesday at 96, was no exception. —

Chris Buckley, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2022 Until the 1970s, Chautauqua—which prides itself on being ecumenical in the multifaith and explicitly religious sense—forbade discussions of atheism. —

John Semley, The New Republic, 28 Nov. 2022 And, certainly, your atheism makes the priest issue a nonissue. —

Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2022 NBC News obtained a recording of the performance from the writer and atheism advocate Hemant Mehta. —

Zachary Schermele, NBC News, 9 Aug. 2022 Despite her appreciation for the U.S.S.R., Ms. Gomes didn’t embrace its atheism. —

New York Times, 19 Aug. 2022 Shelley’s radical politics, his atheism, and his philosophical objections to monogamy weren’t likely to go down well in Victorian Britain. —

Christopher Tayler, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 That Rushdie was raised a Muslim, albeit a secular, alcohol-loving Muslim who soon would declare his atheism, made his descriptions of the Prophet even more troubling than if some outsider had ignorantly portrayed the same. —

Siva Vaidhyanathan, The New Republic, 16 Aug. 2022 Barber explained that his optimism for the future comes from his studying of history and his belief that atheism does not provide the answers that people who leave the faith are looking for. —

Andrew Mark Miller, Fox News, 3 July 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'atheism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.