What does agnosticism mean?
Agnosticism is the position that the existence of God, the divine, or other ultimate realities is unknown, and perhaps unknowable, by human beings. Coined from the Greek roots of 'knowledge,' the term entered English in the nineteenth century through Thomas Henry Huxley, who used it to describe his refusal to assert conclusions that evidence could not support. In its primary sense, agnosticism concerns religious and metaphysical questions: the agnostic neither affirms nor denies God's existence but judges the matter beyond the reach of proof. The word also carries a broader, secular meaning, describing a disciplined suspension of judgment about any claim that cannot be verified — in science, ethics, or everyday affairs. Agnosticism is often contrasted with atheism, which denies God's existence, and with gnosticism, which claims direct spiritual knowledge. The term connotes intellectual humility and caution rather than indifference, making it a precise and useful word for describing principled uncertainty.
nounThe view that the existence of God, the divine, or ultimate metaphysical truths is unknown or unknowable; more broadly, a stance of suspended judgment about claims that cannot be verified.
- The philosophical position that the existence of God or ultimate reality is unknown and probably unknowable.
- A general attitude of suspended judgment or doubt toward any claim that cannot be empirically verified.
"His agnosticism was not hostility to religion but an honest admission that such questions lie beyond human knowledge."
"Raised in a devout household, she arrived at agnosticism after years of reading philosophy."
"The committee's agnosticism about the merger's outcome frustrated investors who wanted a firm answer."
Rarely pluralized; the plural appears mainly when contrasting distinct varieties or historical formulations of agnosticism.
"Nineteenth-century thinkers defended several distinct agnosticisms."
The word 'agnostic' was coined in 1869 by Thomas Huxley — who gleefully admitted he invented it partly to have a label that wasn't 'atheist.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of agnosticism
Agnosticism derives from the Greek 'agnōstos,' meaning 'unknown' or 'unknowable,' formed from the negative prefix 'a-' plus 'gnōstos,' 'known,' a root shared with words like diagnosis and prognosis. The term was coined in 1869 by the English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley, who modeled it deliberately on 'Gnostic,' the name of early Christian sects claiming special spiritual knowledge. It quickly passed into general philosophical and popular usage across the English-speaking world.
Related word forms
How agnosticism is actually used
Formal to neutral register. In everyday use it most often refers to religious uncertainty, but it extends metaphorically to any domain where definitive knowledge is withheld. It describes a position about knowledge, not necessarily a lack of belief, so it should not be treated as synonymous with atheism.
Easily confused with agnosticism
Atheism is the claim or belief that God does not exist, whereas agnosticism holds that God's existence is unknown or unknowable.
Gnosticism is the belief that spiritual truth can be directly known through mystical insight, the opposite of agnosticism's claim that such knowledge is inaccessible.