theism

Definition of theismnext

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of theism The Chinese Communists aren’t trying to extirpate every last trace of theism, thereby inviting the undivided opposition of religious believers and institutions (as the Soviets did with regard to John Paul II’s Vatican). Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 21 Feb. 2021 Thoreau moves fluidly between the two, shuttling between the divine and the here-and-now, between theism and materialism. Longreads, 13 July 2017 Some theologians seemed to reject traditional notions of theism, even arguing that Jesus should be seen more as a human role model than an actual deity. Joseph Berger, New York Times, 29 June 2017 While most of the Empire was being immersed in a religion which was a synthesis of Roman institutions, Greek philosophy and Hebrew theism, a subset of the population of philosophical inclination was being drawn into a religious system descended from Hellenistic paganism. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theism
Noun
  • Some of the earliest information about Khanty religious traditions comes from Russian priests who sent their reports to the archbishop of Siberia to alert him to the problem of continued paganism.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Sitting atop one of the seven hills overlooking the city, the site is like an archaeological mosaic where fragments of paganism, Christianity and Islam from different eras and empires coexist.
    NPR, NPR, 26 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • This theology leaves little room for the restraint that characterized earlier security doctrines.
    Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
  • In Catholic theology, purgatory is the in-between—not heaven, not hell, but a passage of purification before something better.
    Geoff Curtis, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • For all its moral and political weight, monotheism is surprisingly hard to pin down.
    Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Stasevska was born in 1984, the same year that Glass’ hypnotic, ritualistic opera, about an Egyptian pharaoh who dared to push monotheism onto his polytheistic culture, debuted in Stuttgart, Germany.
    Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • This vague gesture in the direction of deism has no antecedent in the book, no moral or theological trajectory to make Bambi’s insight meaningful or satisfying.
    Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2022
  • Those intuitions usually commended a staid deism and scorn for those whose beliefs extended any further.
    Jeffrey Collins, WSJ, 12 Mar. 2021
Noun
  • In 1809, Friedrich’s budding pantheism landed him in hot water.
    Zachary Fine, The New Yorker, 28 June 2024
  • If anyone is wondering, stoicism and pantheism are my preferred lenses through to view the world.
    Christa Allen, Allure, 28 May 2021
Noun
  • Although Americans are rarely asked to weigh in on polytheism, surveys consistently show that not believing in God is among the biggest political liabilities—more electorally costly than being gay, Black, Jewish, Muslim, or female.
    Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The opera ends with Akhnaten’s son, presumably Tutankhamun, restoring polytheism, and then, once the staging jumps millennia into the future, it’s rediscovered by modern-day tourists.
    Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • From their perspective, the war validated Iran’s military investments and doctrine.
    Pegah Banihashemi, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
  • One of the famous cases involving the third-party doctrine involves microfiche in a bank.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Jesus, who speaks in parables, not in dicta or dogmas, provides us with a primary instance of the power of the nonliteral tale.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Normies have not been blackpilled and are living a lie according to incel dogma.
    David Faris, TheWeek, 8 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Theism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theism. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.

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