atheism

[ ey-thee-iz-uhm ]
See synonyms for atheism on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or a supreme being or beings.

  2. the philosophical position stating that there is no supreme being or beings.

Origin of atheism

1
First recorded in 1580–90; from Greek áthe(os) “godless” + -ism;see a-6, theo-

Other words from atheism

  • an·ti·a·the·ism, adjective, noun
  • pro·a·the·ism, noun

Words Nearby atheism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use atheism in a sentence

  • A little or superficial knowledge may incline a man's mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth him back to religion.

    Gospel Philosophy | J. H. Ward
  • He may, perhaps, be unhappy in his atheism, and wish to hear all my arguments to enable him the better to arrive at the truth.

  • The speculating atheist, the theist will tell us, may be an honest man, but his writings will cause atheism in politics.

  • So atheism, and the disbelief of the existence of the soul after death, characterized that materialism.

  • His uncompromising atheism is the very heart and core of his system and clarifies the whole situation.

    Baron d'Holbach | Max Pearson Cushing

British Dictionary definitions for atheism

atheism

/ (ˈeɪθɪˌɪzəm) /


noun
  1. rejection of belief in God or gods

Origin of atheism

1
C16: from French athéisme, from Greek atheos godless, from a- 1 + theos god

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for atheism

atheism

[ (ay-thee-iz-uhm) ]


Denial that there is a God. (Compare agnosticism.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.