know-nothingism

noun

Definition of know-nothingismnext
as in agnosticism

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for know-nothingism
  1. agnosticism
  2. atheism
  3. secularism
Noun
  • If agnosticism can be encapsulated in a guitar solo, White has pulled that off.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 July 2026
  • Others joked about returning to the Catholic Church after a lifetime of agnosticism and atheism.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Definition of agnosticism
Noun
  • Beginning in the 1870s, atheism and indifference to religion became popular, especially among younger intellectuals.
    — David Mislin, The Conversation, 26 June 2026
  • Soviet atheism failed to erase it.
    — Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Definition of atheism
Noun
  • Loftis, played by Matthew Rhys, is a figure of quietly fanatical secularism and non-ghost-ism.
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
  • The secularism of Nolan’s film thus carries a genuine moral logic.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
Definition of secularism
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

know-nothing
know-nothingism
know-nothingisms
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Know-nothingism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/know-nothingism. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inveigle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All