What does "atheist" mean?
A person who does not believe in deities or gods.
Atheist
/ˈeɪθiɪst/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who does not believe in deities or gods.
- Grammar: atheist is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: apostate, atheistic, atheistic, atheistical.
- Useful contrasts: christian, dionysian, gnostic.
- Usage evidence: Mark Zuckerberg is atheist, not theist.
How to use "atheist"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "atheist" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "atheist" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "atheist" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "atheist" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "apostate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who does not believe in deities or gods.
"Atheists. One who does not believe in the existence of a Supreme Being, an atheist, is incompetent as a witness, being incapable of being sworn. […] Changed by Acts of 1851, No. 12 (P. S. 1593), under which, no question can be raised as to a witness's "opinions on matters of religious belief.""
- 2 someone who does not believe in the existence of a god wordnet
- 3 A person who does not believe in deities or gods.; A person who is certain that no deities exist or who thinks that the existence of deities can be disproven.
"Ageine, the Atheistes, which say in their hartes there is no God; […]"
- 4 A person who does not believe in deities or gods.; A person who doubts the existence of deities (therefore, an agnostic may be considered an atheist). broadly
"Minister—Are you really an Atheist? Atheist—Yes. M.—Do you deny that there is a god? A.—No. I deny that there is sufficient reason to believe there is one. There may be a god, but I think it rather unlikely."
- 5 A person who does not believe in deities or gods.; Any person lacking belief in deities (including children who are unaware of religion).
"All children are born Atheists; they have no idea of God. Are they then criminal on account of their ignorance?"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A person who does not believe in a particular deity (but may believe in another deity). uncommon
"Malice and prejudice concurred in representing the Christians as a society of atheists, who, by the most daring attack on the religious constitution of the empire, had merited the severest animadversion of the civil magistrate."
- 7 A person who does not believe in any religion (not even a religion without gods); a nonreligious person. proscribed, sometimes
"This is one of the strongest Grounds of Suspicion to me, and assures me that he has very little Regard to Religion in general; that he can pretend to marry you, and know nothing whether you are a Heathen or Christian; an Atheist or religious Person, a Papist or a Protestant; the Man can have no great Value for Religion, that is so little concerned whether his Wife has any, or no; for I take the Thing to weigh as much on one Side as on the other, where there is any serious Confideration at Bottom."
Verb
- 1 To make someone an atheist. rare, transitive
"The multitude of opinions doth draw him away, or else Atheist him, that he will be nothing. […] The multitude of opinions […] doth un-atheist him, put him upon the search and examination what is the truth of God."
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to atheists or atheism; atheistic.
"He would have been seven times more Epicure and atheist than he was."
Adjective
- 1 related to or characterized by or given to atheism wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Mark Zuckerberg is atheist, not theist."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "atheist"?
Common synonyms include: apostate, atheistic, atheistic, atheistical, atheitard, backslider.
How do you use "atheist" in a sentence?
Mark Zuckerberg is atheist, not theist.
How do you pronounce "atheist"?
Pronounced /ˈeɪθiɪst/.
Etymology
From Middle French athéiste (athée + -iste), from Latin atheos, from Ancient Greek ἄθεος (átheos, “godless, without god”), from ἀ- (a-, “without”) + θεός (theós, “god”).