Dictionary

agnostic en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /aɡˈnɒstɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• (New-Jersey) audio
• /æɡˈnɔstɪk/ (Australia)
• /æɡˈnɑstɪk/ (Canada, US)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Hellenic *ə- Ancient Greek ᾰ̓- (ă-) Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-sḱéti Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₃sḱétider. Proto-Hellenic *gignṓskō Ancient Greek γῐγνώσκω (gĭgnṓskō) Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) Ancient Greek ἄγνωστος (ágnōstos)der. ▲ Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-)der. English a- Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃tisder. Ancient Greek γνῶσις (gnôsis) ▲ Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? ▲ Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τῐκός (-tĭkós) Ancient Greek γνωστῐκός (gnōstĭkós) English Gnostic English agnostic 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”).

Meanings

1. Doubtful or uncertain about the existence or demonstrability of God or other deity.
   • She left the church when she had become agnostic.
2. (informal, usually, with a prepositional phrase) Having no firmly held opinions on something.
   • He says he's agnostic concerning the Secretary's claims.
   • I'm agnostic on whether ethanol is a green fuel.
3. Of or relating to agnosticism or its adherents.
   • His agnostic viewpoint is summarized in his book.
   • 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. 1889, Thomas Henry Huxley, Agnosticism:
4. (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.

Forms

Deriveds

agnosticize · vendor agnostic · nonagnostic · antiagnostic · language-agnostic · anti-agnostic · agnostically · location-agnostic · vendor-agnostic

Hyponyms

view agnostic

Relateds

gnostic · agnosy · ignosticism · ignostic · apatheism · agnosticism · agnosia

Translations (33)

de agnostisch (of or relating to agnosticism) · uk агности́чний (of or relating to agnosticism) · ka აგნოსტიკური (of or relating to agnosticism) · nb agnostisk (of or relating to agnosticism) · pt agnóstico (of or relating to agnosticism) · ca agnòstic (of or relating to agnosticism) · ar لَاأَدْرِيّ (of or relating to agnosticism) · es agnóstico (of or relating to agnosticism) · tr şüpheci (of or relating to agnosticism) · ru агности́ческий (of or relating to agnosticism) · fi agnostinen (of or relating to agnosticism) · ast agnósticu (of or relating to agnosticism) · nl agnostisch (of or relating to agnosticism) · eo agnostika (of or relating to agnosticism) · hi अज्ञेयवादी (of or relating to agnosticism) · it agnostico (of or relating to agnosticism) · tr bilinmezci (of or relating to agnosticism) · eu agnostiko (of or relating to agnosticism) · bn অজ্ঞেয়বাদী (of or relating to agnosticism) · be агнасты́чны (of or relating to agnosticism) · sv agnostisk (of or relating to agnosticism) · pl agnostycystyczny (of or relating to agnosticism) · gl agnóstico (of or relating to agnosticism) · pl agnostyczny (of or relating to agnosticism) · fr agnostique (of or relating to agnosticism) · io agnostika (of or relating to agnosticism) · sh агно̀стичкӣ (of or relating to agnosticism) · sh agnòstičkī (of or relating to agnosticism) · ga agnóisíoch (of or relating to agnosticism) · tr agnostik (of or relating to agnosticism) · de skeptisch (of or relating to agnosticism) · nn agnostisk (of or relating to agnosticism) · id agnostik (of or relating to agnosticism)

agnostic en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /aɡˈnɒstɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• (New-Jersey) audio
• /æɡˈnɔstɪk/ (Australia)
• /æɡˈnɑstɪk/ (Canada, US)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Hellenic *ə- Ancient Greek ᾰ̓- (ă-) Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-sḱéti Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₃sḱétider. Proto-Hellenic *gignṓskō Ancient Greek γῐγνώσκω (gĭgnṓskō) Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) Ancient Greek ἄγνωστος (ágnōstos)der. ▲ Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-)der. English a- Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃tisder. Ancient Greek γνῶσις (gnôsis) ▲ Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? ▲ Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τῐκός (-tĭkós) Ancient Greek γνωστῐκός (gnōstĭkós) English Gnostic English agnostic 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”).

Meanings

1. A person who holds to a form of agnosticism, especially uncertainty of the existence of a deity.
   • The Agnostic is one who asserts—what no one denies—that there are limits to the sphere of human intelligence. 1876 June 1, Leslie Stephen, “An Agnostic's Apology”, in The Forthnightly Review, volume 25/19, number 114, page 840:
   • 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. 1985, Carl Sagan, Contact: a novel, New York: Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 175:
   • 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. 1953 November 3, Bertrand Russell, “What is an Agnostic?”, in Look:

Forms

Relateds

skeptic · atheist · sceptic

Translations (62)

gl agnóstico (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · io agnostikisto (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · lt agnòstikė (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · id orang agnostik (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · de Agnostikerin (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · nn agnostikar (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · da agnostiker (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · sv agnostiker (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · nl agnosticus (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · pt agnóstico (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · el μεταφυσικό αγνωστικό (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · el μεταφυσικός αγνωστικός (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · sh agnòstik (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · bn অজ্ঞেয়বাদ (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · sh агно̀стича̄р (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · mk агностик (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · el αγνωστικίστρια (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · es agnóstica (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · pt agnóstica (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · ast agnóstica (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · ca agnòstic (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · eo agnostikulo (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · pl agnostyczka (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · ast agnósticu (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · sk agnostik (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · es agnóstico (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · el μεταφυσική αγνωστική (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · be агно́стык (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · et agnostik (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · uk агно́стик (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · hy ագնոստիկ (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · sh агно̀стик (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · de Agnostiker (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · fr agnostique (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · el αγνωστικιστής (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · cs agnostik (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · lv agnostiķis (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · gd neach-adhbharachais (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · cs agnostička (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · ru агно́стик (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · ro agnostic (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · bg агности́к (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · nb agnostiker (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · eu agnostiko (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · pl agnostyk (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · ar لَاأَدْرِيّ (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · hu agnosztikus (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · sk agnostička (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · lt agnòstikas (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · fo agnostikari (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · af agnostici (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · ka აგნოსტიკი (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · io agnostiko (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · kk агностик (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · lv agnostiķe (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · ga agnóisí (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · tr bilinemezci (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · af agnostikus (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · sh agnòstičār (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · ro agnostică (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · id agnostik (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.) · fi agnostikko (one who holds to a form of agnosticism.)