athe·ism | \ ˈā-thē-ˌi-zəm 
\
\Definition of atheism
1a : a lack of belief or a strong disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods
b : a philosophical or religious position characterized by disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods
Examples of atheism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Using the neo-Western to convey contemporary secular antagonism is akin to flag-burning atheism.
—
Armond White, National Review, "Let Him Go: A Morally Superior Neo-Western," 6 Nov. 2020 Such bigoted associations between atheism and immorality do not align with reality.
—
Phil Zuckerman, The Conversation, "Why is it so hard for atheists to get voted in to Congress?," 5 Oct. 2020 One recent study, for example, found that Americans even intuitively link atheism with necrobestiality and cannibalism.
—
Phil Zuckerman, The Conversation, "Why is it so hard for atheists to get voted in to Congress?," 5 Oct. 2020 In addition to blasphemy, atheism is frowned upon by many in the majority Muslim north as well as in parts of the mostly Christian south.
—
Eoin Mcsweeney And Stephanie Busari, CNN, "The WhatsApp voice note that led to a death sentence," 29 Sep. 2020 Lewis famously became a devout Christian after years of atheism following his mother’s death and his own service in World War I.
—
Claire Bugos, Smithsonian Magazine, "Stone Sculptures of ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ Characters to Adorn Medieval Church," 21 Aug. 2020 That exposure to Judaism, along with what Rabbi Steinsaltz described as his innate skepticism toward atheism, led him to Orthodox Judaism.
—
Washington Post, "Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, who brought the Talmud within reach of millions, dies at 83," 12 Aug. 2020 After all, the central insight of his philosophy was that Sade’s and Nietzsche’s atheism were notable less as breaks with Christianity as such than as ruptures within the Western concept of the subject.
—
Ryan Ruby, The New York Review of Books, "Pierre Klossowski, Brilliant Brother of Balthus," 8 Aug. 2020 Once upon a time, Bernie Sanders would have had another political vulnerability besides his socialism — namely, his atheism.
—
Rich Lowry, National Review, "Bernie Sanders Is the Candidate of Nonbelievers," 3 Mar. 2020
See MoreThese 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on atheism
What made you want to look up atheism? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Musical Words Quiz
- Which word describes a musical performance marked by the absence of instrumental accompaniment?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Share atheism
Time Traveler for atheism
The first known use of atheism was in 1546
See more words from the same year