atheist
noun
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How Agnostic Differs From Atheist
Atheist and agnostic appear in the same contexts but are distinct in meaning. Atheist refers to someone who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods. Agnostic has two relevant meanings: it can refer to someone who holds the view that any ultimate reality, such as God, is unknown and probably unknowable, or it can refer to someone who is not committed to believing in either the existence or nonexistence of God or a god.
Agnostic first appeared in print in 1869 (it was possibly coined by the English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley), and was formed from the Greek agnōstos, meaning "unknown, unknowable." Atheist came to English from the French athéisme. Although both words share the prefix a-, meaning "without," the main body of each word is quite different. Agnostic ultimately comes from the Greek root gignōskein, meaning "know" (also the source of such words as know and prognosis). Atheist shares the root theo, meaning "god," with such words as theology and theism.
Examples of atheist in a Sentence
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Among other things, this reading taught me that atheists do hold beliefs, not just about morals and ethics but about how the world actually is and how humans fit into it.
—Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
Hesse, now an atheist, has few good things to say about the good many evangelical churches do.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Kelson is a man of science and an atheist, but not without a touch of mysticism.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atheist
Cite this Entry
“Atheist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atheist. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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