agnostic
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Etymology
Coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1870. Either from Ancient Greek ἄγνωστος (ágnōstos, “ignorant, not knowing”), or from a- + Gnostic, deriving (either way) from Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-, “not”) + γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō, “I know”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /aɡˈnɒstɪk/
- (US, Canada) IPA(key): /æɡˈnɑstɪk/
Audio (US): (file) Audio (New Jersey): (file)
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /æɡˈnɔstɪk/
Audio (General Australian): (file)
- Rhymes: -ɒstɪk
Adjective
agnostic (comparative more agnostic, superlative most agnostic)
- Doubtful or uncertain about the existence or demonstrability of God or other deity.
- She left the church when she had become agnostic.
- (informal, usually with a prepositional phrase) Having no firmly held opinions on something.
- I'm agnostic on whether ethanol is a green fuel.
- He says he's agnostic concerning the Secretary's claims.
- Of or relating to agnosticism or its adherents.
- His agnostic viewpoint is summarized in his book.
- 1889, Thomas Henry Huxley, Agnosticism:
- In matters of the intellect do not pretend that conclusions are certain which are not demonstrated or demonstrable. That I take to be the agnostic faith, which if a man keep whole and undefiled, he shall not be ashamed to look the universe in the face, whatever the future may have in store for him.
- (computing, of a software component etc.) Unaware or noncommittal regarding the specific nature of the components or input with which it interacts.
- The socket communications layer is agnostic with regard to its underlying transport mechanism—it is “transport-agnostic”.
- The software's registration key is platform agnostic and will work on both x86 and ARM processors.
Hyponyms
- view agnostic (computing)
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
of or relating to agnosticism
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Noun
agnostic (plural agnostics)
- A person who holds to a form of agnosticism, especially uncertainty of the existence of a deity.
- 1876 June 1, Leslie Stephen, “An Agnostic's Apology”, in The Forthnightly Review, volume 25/19, number 114, page 840:
- The Agnostic is one who asserts—what no one denies—that there are limits to the sphere of human intelligence.
- 1953 November 3, Bertrand Russell, “What is an Agnostic?”, in Look:
- An agnostic thinks it impossible to know the truth in matters such as God and the future life with which Christianity and other religions are concerned.
- 1985, Carl Sagan, Contact: a novel, New York: Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 175:
- When I say I'm an agnostic, I only mean that the evidence isn't in. There isn't compelling evidence that God exists — at least your kind of god — and there isn't compelling evidence that he doesn't.
Coordinate terms
- (religionists) religionist; agnostic, Asatruar, atheist, Baháʼí, Buddhist, Christian, deist, Druid, Druze, Eckist, heathen, Hindu, Jain, Jedi, Jew, Mormon, Mormonist, Muslim, Odinist, pagan, Pastafarian, Quaker, Raëlian, Rastafarian, Rodnover, Samaritan, Shintoist, Sikh, Taoist, Unitarian Universalist, Wiccan, Yahwist, Yazidi, Zoroastrian (Category: en:Religion) [edit]
Translations
one who holds to a form of agnosticism.
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See also
- atheist
- sceptic (Mainly UK & Commonwealth), skeptic (Mainly US)
- Appendix:Glossary of philosophical isms
References
Agnosticism on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
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Etymology
Borrowed from French agnostique. Equivalent to a- + gnostic.
Noun
agnostic m (plural agnostici)
Declension
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