new atheism

noun

A form of atheism that promotes active opposition to religion, rather than toleration.

Meanings

nounnew atheism (uncountable)

alternative New Atheism · alternative Gnu Atheism

  1. uncountableA form of atheism that promotes active opposition to religion, rather than toleration.

    Although it had since become less influential, one geeky online subculture that started to move to the right and shared many characteristics of the contemporary alt-right was ‘new atheism’.

    2017, Angela Nagle, chapter 7, in Kill All Normies, Zero Books, →ISBN

Origin

Coined by journalist Gary Wolf in 2006.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

new atheism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/new%20atheism

MLA

“new atheism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/new%20atheism. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “new atheism,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/new%20atheism.

Source: new atheism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.