What does "gnostic" mean?
A believer in Gnosticism
Gnostic
/ˈnɒstɪk/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A believer in Gnosticism
- Grammar: gnostic is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: adherent, apocryphal, believer, christian sectarians.
- Useful contrasts: agnostic, atheist, exoteric.
- Usage evidence: Gnosticism was a religious movement older than Christianity. There were both types of Christian and non-Christian Gnosticism because there was syncretism, or mixing. They believed that humans were trapped in their bodies and in this evil material world that was created by a cosmic disaster, by a malevolent deity who was not Christ. Christian Gnostics believed that Christ was one of the aeons or divine beings from the Pleroma, the Divine Realm, as described in the Apocryphon of John, part of the Nag Hammadi Library of Gnostic literature. Salvation was by esoteric knowledge, although ultimately self-knowledge. Gnostics believed in the dualism of the good spirit and evil matter. The material world was an evil place from where Gnostics had to escape. They believed that not all humans had the Divine Spark. The aeons emanated from the Ultimate God, the Monad in the Pleroma. The origins of Gnosticism are unclear today, but probably it came from Persia or further east. It had a lot of Greek influences. Today, after the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library as leather-bound papyrus codices in a sealed jar in Egypt, in 1945, some people are trying to revive Gnosticism. "Gnōsis" is Greek for knowledge.
How to use "gnostic"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gnostic" 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
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- 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 "gnostic" 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
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
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2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A believer in Gnosticism
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Gnostic. alt-of
- 3 an advocate of Gnosticism wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Of, or relating to, intellectual or spiritual knowledge not-comparable
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Gnostic. alt-of
"Maggie (as she is usually called) says she is constantly amazed at Kast's "almost gnostic outlook" on life."
- 3 Of, or relating to Gnosticism not-comparable
- 4 knowing; wise; shrewd archaic, slang
"I said you were a d—d gnostic fellow."
Adjective
- 1 possessing intellectual or esoteric knowledge of spiritual things wordnet
- 2 of or relating to Gnosticism wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Gnosticism was a religious movement older than Christianity. There were both types of Christian and non-Christian Gnosticism because there was syncretism, or mixing. They believed that humans were trapped in their bodies and in this evil material world that was created by a cosmic disaster, by a malevolent deity who was not Christ. Christian Gnostics believed that Christ was one of the aeons or divine beings from the Pleroma, the Divine Realm, as described in the Apocryphon of John, part of the Nag Hammadi Library of Gnostic literature. Salvation was by esoteric knowledge, although ultimately self-knowledge. Gnostics believed in the dualism of the good spirit and evil matter. The material world was an evil place from where Gnostics had to escape. They believed that not all humans had the Divine Spark. The aeons emanated from the Ultimate God, the Monad in the Pleroma. The origins of Gnosticism are unclear today, but probably it came from Persia or further east. It had a lot of Greek influences. Today, after the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library as leather-bound papyrus codices in a sealed jar in Egypt, in 1945, some people are trying to revive Gnosticism. "Gnōsis" is Greek for knowledge."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gnostic"?
Common synonyms include: adherent, apocryphal, believer, christian sectarians, devotee, discerning.
How do you use "gnostic" in a sentence?
Gnosticism was a religious movement older than Christianity. There were both types of Christian and non-Christian Gnosticism because there was syncretism, or mixing. They believed that humans were trapped in their bodies and in this evil material world that was created by a cosmic disaster, by a malevolent deity who was not Christ. Christian Gnostics believed that Christ was one of the aeons or divine beings from the Pleroma, the Divine Realm, as described in the Apocryphon of John, part of the Nag Hammadi Library of Gnostic literature. Salvation was by esoteric knowledge, although ultimately self-knowledge. Gnostics believed in the dualism of the good spirit and evil matter. The material world was an evil place from where Gnostics had to escape. They believed that not all humans had the Divine Spark. The aeons emanated from the Ultimate God, the Monad in the Pleroma. The origins of Gnosticism are unclear today, but probably it came from Persia or further east. It had a lot of Greek influences. Today, after the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library as leather-bound papyrus codices in a sealed jar in Egypt, in 1945, some people are trying to revive Gnosticism. "Gnōsis" is Greek for knowledge.
How do you pronounce "gnostic"?
Pronounced /ˈnɒstɪk/.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek γνωστικός (gnōstikós, “relating to knowledge or knowing”), from the root of verb γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō, “to come to know, to learn”) + -τῐκός (-tĭkós) or from γνῶσις (gnôsis, “knowledge, knowing”) + -κός (-kós, adjective suffix), depending upon the analysis.