atheism

American  

[ey-thee-iz-uhm] / ˈeɪ θiˌɪz əm /

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.

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atheism British  

/ ˈeɪθɪˌɪzəm /

noun

1. rejection of belief in God or gods

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atheism Cultural  

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

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Usage

What does atheism mean? Atheism is the belief that there is no supreme being or deity. In other words, atheism is the denial of the existence of God or of any gods.A person who holds such a belief can be called an atheist. The word atheist can also be used as an adjective to describe such beliefs or things involving such beliefs. The adjective atheistic can be used in the same way.The word atheism means something different from agnosticism, which is the belief that it is impossible to know whether or not a supreme being exists. When asked if God or gods exist, an atheist would answer “No,” while an agnostic would answer “It is impossible to know.”Example: Atheism isn’t the belief that God is bad—it’s the belief that God doesn’t exist.

Other Word Forms

• antiatheism adjective
• proatheism noun

Etymology

Origin of atheism

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

Related Words

• nihilism