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I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure - that is all that agnosticism means.
Clarence Darrow

Meaning of "agnosticism" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF AGNOSTICISM

agnosticism  [æɡˈnɒstɪsɪzəm] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF AGNOSTICISM

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Agnosticism is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES AGNOSTICISM MEAN IN ENGLISH?

agnosticism

Agnosticism

Agnosticism is the view that the truth values of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, as well as other religious and metaphysical claims—are unknown or unknowable. According to the philosopher William L. Rowe, in the popular sense, an agnostic is someone who neither believes nor disbelieves in the existence of a deity or deities, whereas a theist and an atheist believe and disbelieve, respectively. Thomas Henry Huxley, an English biologist, coined the word agnostic in 1869. However, earlier thinkers have written works that promoted agnostic points of view. These thinkers include Sanjaya Belatthaputta, a 5th-century BCE Indian philosopher who expressed agnosticism about any afterlife, Protagoras, a 5th-century BCE Greek philosopher was agnostic about the gods. The Nasadiya Sukta in the Rigveda is agnostic about the origin of the universe. Since the time that Huxley coined the term, many other thinkers have extensively written about agnosticism.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH AGNOSTICISM


antiromanticism
ˌæntɪrəʊˈmæntɪsɪzəm
antisepticism
ˌæntɪˈseptɪsɪzəm
apocalypticism
əˌpɒkəˈlɪptɪsɪzəm
asepticism
eɪˈsɛptɪsɪzəm
astaticism
eɪˈstætɪsɪzəm
athleticism
æθˈlɛtɪsɪzəm
autodidacticism
ˌɔːtəʊdɪˈdæktɪsɪzəm
chromaticism
krəˈmætɪsɪzəm
didacticism
dɪˈdæktɪsɪzəm
exoticism
ɪɡˈzɒtɪsɪzəm
grammaticism
ɡrəˈmætɪsɪzəm
patristicism
pəˈtrɪstɪsɪzəm
peripateticism
ˌpɛrɪpəˈtɛtɪsɪzəm
poeticism
pəʊˈɛtɪsɪzəm
pragmaticism
præɡˈmætɪsɪzəm
propheticism
prəʊˈfɛtɪsɪzəm
psychoticism
saɪˈkɒtɪsɪzəm
scepticism
ˈskɛptɪsɪzəm
skepticism
ˈskɛptɪsɪzəm
syntheticism
sɪnˈθɛtɪsɪzəm

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE AGNOSTICISM

agnathous
agnatic
agnatical
agnatically
agnation
Agnes
Agnesi
Agnew
Agni
agnise
agnize
agnoiology
agnomen
agnomina
agnominal
Agnon
agnosia
agnosic
agnostic

WORDS THAT END LIKE AGNOSTICISM

aestheticism
Catholicism
classicism
criticism
cynicism
eclecticism
eroticism
fanaticism
historicism
literary criticism
lyricism
mosaicism
mysticism
neoclassicism
neuroticism
racism
romanticism
scholasticism
self-criticism
textual criticism
witticism

Synonyms and antonyms of agnosticism in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «agnosticism» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF AGNOSTICISM

Find out the translation of agnosticism to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of agnosticism from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «agnosticism» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

不可知论
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

agnosticismo
570 millions of speakers

English

agnosticism
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

अज्ञेयवाद
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

اللاأدرية
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

агностицизм
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

agnosticismo
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

অজ্ঞাবাদ
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

agnosticism
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Agnostikisme
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Agnostizismus
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

不可知論
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

불가지론
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Agnosticism
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

trí người không thể biết tuyệt đối
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

கடவுள்நம்பிக்கையற்றவர்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

अज्ञेयवाद
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

agnostisizm
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

agnosticismo
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

agnostycyzm
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

агностицизм
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

agnosticism
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

αγνωστικισμός
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

agnostisisme
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

agnosticism
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

agnostisisme
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of agnosticism

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «AGNOSTICISM»

The term «agnosticism» is regularly used and occupies the 70.828 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
67
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «agnosticism» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of agnosticism
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «agnosticism».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «AGNOSTICISM» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «agnosticism» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «agnosticism» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about agnosticism

EXAMPLES

5 QUOTES WITH «AGNOSTICISM»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word agnosticism.
1
Anna Julia Cooper
Agnosticism has nothing to impart. Its sermons are the exhortations of one who convinces you he stands on nothing and urges you to stand there too.
2
Clarence Darrow
I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure - that is all that agnosticism means.
3
Parker Palmer
America's freedom of religion, and freedom from religion, offers every wisdom tradition an opportunity to address our soul-deep needs: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, secular humanism, agnosticism and atheism among others.
4
B. F. Skinner
I won't say that I'm an agnostic, since agnosticism maintains that one cannot know... but I'm not averse to the idea of some intelligence or some organizing force that set up the initial conditions of the universe in such a way that ultimately generated stars, planets and life.
5
Julia Sweeney
I went with agnosticism for a long, long time because I just hated to say I was an atheist - being an atheist seemed so rigid. But the more I became comfortable with the word, and the more I read, it started to stick.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «AGNOSTICISM»

Discover the use of agnosticism in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to agnosticism and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Agnosticism: The Battle Against Shameless Ignorance
For instance, Confucius said, "To know is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge." Learn more about agnosticism and start asking yourself some big questions with this book: What is the definition of God?
James Wall, 2011
2
Agnosticism: contemporary responses to Spencer and Huxley
This volume provides extracts of the best-known agnostics (Spencer, Huxley, Stephen, Clifford, and Tyndall), and their less well-known theological opponents.
Andrew Pyle, 1995
3
Agnosticism: A Very Short Introduction
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly.
Robin Le Poidevin, 2010
4
W.E.B. Du Bois: Toward Agnosticism, 1868-1934
Brian L. Johnson's remarkable biography of W.E.B. Du Bois describes the evolution of religious views from Du Bois's birth until his resignation as editor of Crisis magazine in 1934.
Brian L. Johnson, 2008
5
Agnosticism
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process.
Robert Flint, 2009
6
Agnosticism
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process.
Huxley Thomas Henry, 2009
7
Naturalism and Agnosticism: The Gifford Lectures Delivered ...
Philosophy. This series contains both philosophical texts and critical essays about philosophy, concentrating especially on works originally published in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It covers a broad range of topics including ethics, ...
James Ward, 2011
8
Agnosticism: Sermons (1891)
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series.
Alfred Williams Momerie, 2010
9
Beyond Agnosticism: A Book for Tired Mechanists
This volume was written with a full and glad recognition of the discoveries of modern science and with modern philosophy taken into account. This is not fundamentalist volume.
Bernard Iddings Bell, 2006
10
Christianity and Agnosticism; Reviews of Some Recent Attacks ...
Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.
Henry Wace, 2012

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «AGNOSTICISM»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term agnosticism is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Why doesn't everyone believe in God?: The skeptical brain may hold …
It may have been just this that led Elizabeth Cady, a former evangelical Christian currently living in San Francisco, to her current agnosticism. «Salon, Jul 15»
2
A sentimental makeover
... parishioners. TRURO – In the generation of Xbox and agnosticism, it's not a usual sight to see a church congregation outgrow its walls. «Truro Daily News, Jul 15»
3
Post God Nation review: Williams makes powerful defence for …
Roy Williams, retired lawyer, probes the rise of atheism and agnosticism in modern Australia. The author reminds us that in 1901, 96 per cent of ... «Sydney Morning Herald, Jul 15»
4
Horowitz in Age and in Love
As he confronts his own life and prospective death, Horowitz proclaims his agnosticism. Yet he celebrates “creative faiths” that are conducive to ... «FrontPage Magazine, Jul 15»
5
Islamic Center hosts 'Fast a day'
Melissa Shoemaker, Fast a Day participant, said that as someone who is inclined towards agnosticism, she made sure she came to explore ... «Kansas State Collegian, Jul 15»
6
County council to no longer say a prayer before meetings
... often the priest's message, but he hasn't given much consideration to the depths of his own spiritualty; although he flatly rejects agnosticism. «www.insideottawavalley.com/, Jul 15»
7
SARGE: God Is…
Agnosticism is when a person has no real knowledge or simply doesn't have the necessary empirical data sufficient to prove the existence of a ... «The Hayride, Jul 15»
8
The Many Faces of Wiccan Divinity
... deism, polytheism, animism, shamanism, pantheism, panentheism, monotheism, agnosticism or atheism; and I know Wiccans who hold all of ... «Patheos, Jul 15»
9
I agree with Alex Kane, and not with Chrisitians who claim persecution
Alex Kane, who makes no secret of his agnosticism, had a right good go in the Belfast News Letter (June 22) at those Christians in Northern ... «Belfast Newsletter, Jul 15»
10
Nicholas Winton, the man who saved a generation of Jews
From adolescence, however, he has practiced a muscular agnosticism and was not best pleased when a book about his Prague Operations, ... «Radio Times, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Agnosticism [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/agnosticism>. Apr 2024 ».
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