Atheism Meaning
/ˈeɪ.θi.ɪ.zəm/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA non-belief in deities.
nounA non-belief in deities., Belief that no deities exist (sometimes including rejection of other religious beliefs).
Sentence Examples
Socrates was accused of atheism because he did not believe in Zeus.
Atheism isn't a religious belief.
Jose chose atheism and he never regretted it.
CEFR Practice Quiz
His disbelief in any god or deity is known as ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The philosophy of ____ is the belief that there are no gods or deities.
Word Origin & History
16th century Middle French athéisme, from athée (“atheist”), a loan from Ancient Greek ἄθεος (átheos, “godless”, from ἀ- (a-, “without”) + θεός (theós, “deity, god”)). First English attestation dates to 1587 (OED).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"For atheism to be rationally justified it is only necessary that it be more probable than not or at least more probable than theism. Certainty is no more required in the case of atheism than it is in the case of scientific theories."
— 2002, Michael Martin, “Should atheists be agnostics?”, in Julian Baggini, editor, The Philosophers' Magazine, number 19, →ISSN, archived from the original on 20 Dec 2002, page 18:
"The theory of Secularism is a form, not of dogmatic, but of skeptical, Atheism; it is dogmatic only in denying the sufficiency of the evidence for the being and perfections of God. It does not deny, it only does not believe, His existence."
— 1857, James Buchanan, Modern Atheism: under its forms of Pantheism, Materialism, Secularism, Development, and Natural Laws, Boston: Gould and Lincoln, page 365:
"...but Atheism per se simply means, not denial, but rejection, in the sense of not accepting the Theistic theory of the universe which Mr. Lee has put forward tonight."
— 1896, George William Foote with W. T. Lee, “First Night”, in Theism or Athiesm: Which is the more reasonable?, London: R. Forder, page 17:
"What can parents do, and mothers more especially, […] with regard to the atheism that is natural to all the children of men?"
— 1829, John Wesley, Sermons, on Several Occasions, 10th edition, volume 2, page 373:
"Atheism, in its basic form, is not a belief; it is the absence of belief. An atheist is not primarily a person who believes that a god does not exist; rather, he does not believe in the existence of a god."
— 1979, George H. Smith, Atheism: The Case Against God, Buffalo, New York: Prometheus, →ISBN, →LCCN, LCC BL2747.3.S6 1979, page 7:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
His disbelief in any god or deity is known as ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The philosophy of ____ is the belief that there are no gods or deities.