agnosticism
C2Formal/Academic
Definition
Meaning
The philosophical view that the existence of God, gods, or the supernatural is unknown or inherently unknowable.
An attitude of doubt or skepticism towards a particular claim or body of knowledge, especially one claiming ultimate certainty.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a philosophical/religious term. In computing, 'agnostic' (e.g., platform-agnostic) is a metaphorical extension meaning independent of a specific system.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling is consistent.
Connotations
Neutral philosophical descriptor in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American English due to greater public discourse on religion.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + profess + agnosticism[Subject] + be + an example of + agnosticismAgnosticism + about + [topic]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To sit on the fence (metaphorical, not direct equivalent)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used metaphorically: 'We maintain platform agnosticism in our software design.'
Academic
Central term in philosophy of religion and epistemology. 'The paper critiques logical positivism's methodological agnosticism.'
Everyday
Used to describe one's religious views: 'I was raised Christian, but now I lean towards agnosticism.'
Technical
In IT: 'The service is data-agnostic, meaning it can process any format.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- No direct verb form. Use phrases: 'He tends to agnosticise on metaphysical questions.' (rare/coinage)
American English
- No direct verb form. Use phrases: 'She agnosticized about the existence of souls.' (rare/coinage)
adverb
British English
- He commented agnostically, 'It's impossible for us to know either way.'
American English
- She shrugged agnostically when asked about the afterlife.
adjective
British English
- His agnostic viewpoint left him unpersuaded by both theological proofs and militant atheism.
American English
- The researcher maintained an agnostic stance on the causality issue until more data was available.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He is not religious; he believes in agnosticism.
- Agnosticism is different from atheism because it's about not knowing, not about denying.
- After years of study, she moved from firm atheism to a position of thoughtful agnosticism.
- The philosopher's epistemic agnosticism extended beyond theology to questions of objective morality.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'A Gnostic' claims special knowledge (gnosis). An 'A-gnostic' is 'without knowledge' or 'against knowledge claims' about God.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE IS A POSSESSION / LANDSCAPE (Agnosticism is being lost in a foggy landscape, unable to possess the map to God.)
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'индеферентизм' (indifferentism). Agnosticism is about knowledge, not indifference. The direct equivalent is 'агностицизм'.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing it with 'atheism' (belief there is no God).
- Using it to mean general indecisiveness about trivial matters.
Practice
Quiz
In a computing context, what does 'platform-agnostic' most closely mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Atheism is the belief that there is no god. Agnosticism is the view that we cannot know whether there is a god or not.
Yes. Some religious people are agnostic about the specific details or nature of the divine, holding their faith despite uncertainty.
The term was coined by the British biologist and philosopher Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869.
Yes, in many secular societies, identifying as 'agnostic' is a common way to express religious doubt or uncertainty without outright denial.