infidel

[ in-fi-dl, -del ]

noun

1. Religion. Often Disparaging and Offensive. a person who does not accept a particular faith, especially Christianity or Islam.
2. a person who has no religious faith; unbeliever.
3. (loosely) a person who disbelieves or doubts a particular theory, belief, creed, etc.; skeptic:

   When it came to ghosts, he was a self-confessed infidel.

adjective

1. Often Disparaging and Offensive. not accepting a particular faith, especially Christianity or Islam.
2. without religious faith.
3. Also in·fi·del·ic [] of, relating to, or characteristic of unbelievers.
4. relating to or showing unbelief:

   Our infidel ideas about artificial intelligence make us pariahs in the academic community.

infidel

/ ˈɪnfɪdəl /

noun

1. a person who has no religious belief; unbeliever

adjective

1. rejecting a specific religion, esp Christianity or Islam
2. of, characteristic of, or relating to unbelievers or unbelief

Word History and Origins

Origin of infidel¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Late Latin infidēlis “unbelieving,” Latin: “unfaithful, treacherous”; in- ³, feal ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of infidel¹

C15: from Medieval Latin infidēlis, from Latin (adj): unfaithful, from in- ¹+ fidēlis faithful; see feal

Synonym Study

See agnostic.

Example Sentences

Leaflets were widely distributed during that era saying that facial covering was what separated the Muslim woman from the infidel.

From The Daily Beast

It is immaterial if the infidel is a combatant or a civilian.

From The Daily Beast

They call us the village that protects infidel U.S. soldiers.

From The Daily Beast

Safi makes the same threat toward other villagers and warns them never again to help a wounded “infidel” soldier.

From The Daily Beast

And to them and to their base, Obama is the biggest infidel of all and Obamacare the greatest impiety.

From The Daily Beast

Huxley quotes with satirical gusto Dr. Wace's declaration as to the word "Infidel."

From Project Gutenberg

But a little earlier still, to be an Infidel was to be an outlaw, subject to the penalty of death.

From Project Gutenberg

Those who hold the truth cannot enter into it with the infidel, the unbeliever, the erroneous or profane.

From Project Gutenberg

In London some years before, she had been the pupil of a learned minister, who had become an infidel, and also unscrupulous.

From Project Gutenberg

Let us suppose that any one denying the theory of Laplace or the theory of Copernicus would be reviled as an "Infidel."

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• agnostic