unbeliever

noun

un·​be·​liev·​er ˌən-bə-ˈlē-vər How to pronounce unbeliever (audio)
1
: one that does not believe in a particular religious faith
2
: one that does not believe : an incredulous person : doubter, skeptic

Example Sentences

a hardheaded unbeliever who demanded to see concrete evidence of any alleged UFO activity
Recent Examples on the Web As director of Number 10’s in-house think-tank, the Policy Unit, the unbeliever in question has hitherto been an obscure figure in Boris Johnson’s high command, albeit an important one. The Economist, 27 June 2020 For me, this person is always an unbeliever and the strain of making him see is considerable. Stephen Mirarchi, National Review, 28 Dec. 2019 The isolated world of Appalachian snake handlers is the setting for this drama about a pastor’s daughter who falls in love with an unbeliever. Cary Darling |, Houston Chronicle, 8 Aug. 2019 The philosophe wondered what was left to unbelievers in the way of ethical guidelines. Dan Hofstadter, WSJ, 15 Feb. 2019 Decree defeat, humiliation and unbelief to the unbelievers. Adam Nossiter, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2018 Melnik was a mocker and an unbeliever, a lecher, a contrary creature. Ben Taub, The New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2018 For the casual, uninitiated baseball fan who tunes in every once in a while, this season’s home-run calls must sound as baffling as a Pentecostal sermon to an unbeliever. Jay Caspian Kang, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2017 But their willingness to ally themselves with any enemy of their enemy has left them in the strange position of cheerleading regimes that jail homosexuals, murder dissidents, stone unbelievers, and drop barrel bombs on civilians in Aleppo. Yascha Mounk, Slate Magazine, 5 Jan. 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unbeliever.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unbeliever was in 1526

Dictionary Entries Near unbeliever

Cite this Entry

“Unbeliever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unbeliever. Accessed 9 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

unbeliever

noun
un·​be·​liev·​er ˌən-bə-ˈlē-vər How to pronounce unbeliever (audio)
1
: one who does not believe in a particular religious faith : infidel
2
: one who does not believe : doubter
unbelieving
-ˈlē-viŋ
adjective
unbelievingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unbeliever

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!