agnosticism

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UK/æɡˈnɒstɪsɪzəm/US/æɡˈnɑstɪsɪzəm/

noun

The view that absolute truth or ultimate certainty is unattainable, especially regarding knowledge not based on experience or perceivable phenomena.

“Holonyms: epistemology, cosmology, ontology, philosophy”

Similar
skepticismscepticism
Opposite
antiagnosticism
UncommonScrabble 16
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Word of the Day · Nov 16, 2021

Meanings

nounagnosticism (countable and uncountable, plural agnosticisms)

plural agnosticisms

  1. countableuncountableThe view that absolute truth or ultimate certainty is unattainable, especially regarding knowledge not based on experience or perceivable phenomena.
  2. countableuncountableThe view that the existence of God or of all deities is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable.

    Holonyms: epistemology, cosmology, ontology, philosophy

    Antonyms: antiagnosticism

  3. countableuncountableDoubt, uncertainty, or scepticism regarding the existence of a god or gods.

    1956, January 31ˢᵗ: Alan Alexander Milne; quoted in:

    1 more example

    The Old Testament is responsible for more atheism, agnosticism, disbelief — call it what you will — than any book ever written; it has emptied more churches than all the counterattractions of cinema, motor bicycle and golf course.

    1988: James B. Simpson, Simpson’s Contemporary Quotations, № 4,393 (Houghton Mifflin)
  4. broadlycountableuncountableDoubt, uncertainty, or scepticism regarding any subject of dispute.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe view that the existence of God or of all deities is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable.

Opposite
antiagnosticism

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe disbelief in any claims of ultimate knowledge

Similar
skepticismscepticism
Broader
unbeliefdisbelief
Also see
agnosisirreligionskepticism

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Coined by Thomas Henry Huxley. From a- + gnostic + -ism (see also agnostic).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic لَاأَدْرِيَّة
  • لَاأَدْرِيَّة (lā-ʔadriyya)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Basque agnostizismo
  • agnostizismoview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Bengali অজ্ঞেয়বাদ
  • অজ্ঞেয়বাদ (ojneẏobad)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Bulgarian агностици́зъм
  • агностици́зъм (agnosticízăm)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Catalan agnosticisme
  • agnosticismeview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Chinese Cantonese 不可知論 /不可知论
  • 不可知論 /不可知论 (bat¹ ho² zi¹ leon⁶)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Chinese Mandarin 不可知論 /不可知论
  • 不可知論 /不可知论 (bùkězhīlùn)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Czech agnosticismus
  • agnosticismusview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Danish agnostisisme
  • agnostisismeview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Dutch agnosticisme
  • agnosticismeview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Esperanto agnostikismo
  • agnostikismoview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Finnish agnostismi
  • agnostismiview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
French agnosticisme
  • agnosticismeview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
German Agnostizismus
  • Agnostizismusview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Greek αγνωστικισμός, αγνωσιαρχία
  • αγνωστικισμός (agnostikismós)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
  • αγνωσιαρχία (agnosiarchía)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Hebrew אגנוסטיות
  • אגנוסטיות (agnustyut)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Hindi अज्ञेयवाद
  • अज्ञेयवाद (ajñeyvād)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Indonesian agnostisisme
  • agnostisismeview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Italian agnosticismo
  • agnosticismoview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Japanese 不可知論
  • 不可知論 (fukachiron)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Korean 불가지론
  • 불가지론 (bulgajiron)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Latin agnosticismus
  • agnosticismusview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Malay agnostisisme
  • agnostisismeview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Norwegian Bokmål agnostisisme
  • agnostisismeview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Polish agnostycyzm
  • agnostycyzmview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Portuguese agnosticismo
  • agnosticismoview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Romanian agnosticism
  • agnosticismview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Russian агностици́зм
  • агностици́зм (agnosticízm)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Scottish Gaelic adhbharachas
  • adhbharachasview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Spanish agnosticismo
  • agnosticismoview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Swedish agnosticism
  • agnosticismview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Thai อไญยนิยม
  • อไญยนิยม (à-yai-yá-ní-yom)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Turkish agnostisizm, bilinemezcilik
  • agnostisizmview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
  • bilinemezcilikview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Ukrainian агностици́зм
  • агностици́зм (ahnostycýzm)view that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Vietnamese thuyết bất khả tri
  • thuyết bất khả triview that the existence of a God or gods is unknown, unknowable, unproven, or unprovable
Cite this entry
APA

agnosticism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agnosticism

MLA

“agnosticism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agnosticism. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “agnosticism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agnosticism.

Source: agnosticism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.