A common theme in these definitions is the primary use of "disbelieve" when defining atheism. In the passive sense, "disbelieve" means "not believe" — thus a person who disbelieves a claim may simply not accept the truth of the claim without going any further or asserting the opposite. In the active sense, "disbelieve" involves deliberately refusing to believe something (possible reasons might include a lack of evidence or an incoherent claim).
Definition of Atheism in Late 20th Century Dictionaries:
Webster's Unabridged Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1957
- atheism: Disbelief in the existence of God; the state of godlessness. Atheism: unbelief in or denial of God or any supernaturalism; to ancient Greek it meant denial and lack of recognition of state gods. In 18th cent. it was a protest against religious hypocrisy; in 19th cent. it was any system not recognizing the idea of a personal Creator or any one supreme being. It sees marter, not spirit, as sole universal principle; its history one of opposition. Term often loosely used in referring to agnostics who neither deny nor admit the existence of God, or in regard to others who disagree with current theological doctrine.
- agnostic: One who, while he does not deny the existence of God, believes there is no proof of a Supreme Being; sometimes confused with atheist.
- agnosticism: 1. The doctrine that nothing is known or knowable of the origin or nature of the universe or its creator, except the physical manifestations of phenomena, neither accepting nor rejecting a Deity with supernatural power. 2. Any doctrine which maintains that matters generally accepted as knowledge are problematical, since all are related and trace to a common unknown source.
- disbelief: lack of belief, unbelief.
Unlike most dictionaries, this one traces the course of how the term "athiesm" has been used over the centuries, leading us to the more modern usage which incorporates anything which simply does not bother believing in any gods.
Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictgionary, 1980
- atheist: one who denies or disbelieves in the existence of God.
- agnosticism: The doctrine and philosophical theory that man cannot know God, first truths, or anything beyond material phenomena.
- theism: Belief in, or in the existence of, God, a god, or gods.
- disbelief: Lack of belief
Oxford English Dictionary
- atheism: (from Greek atheos, "without God, denying God") Disbelief in, or denial of, the existence of a God. Also, Disregard of duty to God, godlessness (practical atheism).
- agnostic: (from Greek agnostos, "unknowing, unknown, unknowable") One who holds that the existence of anything beyond and behind material phenomena is unknown and, so far as can be judged, unknowable, and especially that a First Cause and an unseen world are subjects of which we know nothing.
- [Suggested by Prof. Huxley at a party held previous to the formation of the now defunct Metaphysical Society, at Mr. James Knowles's house on Chapham Common, one evening in 1869, in my hearing. He took it from St. Paul's mention of the altar to 'the Unknown God.' R.H. Hutton in letter 13 May 1881]
- disbelieve: 1. trans. Not to believe or credit; to refuse credence to: a. a statement or (alleged) fact: To reject the reality of. (With simple object or object clause). b. a person making a statement. 2. absol. or intr. Whatley Commonpl. Bk. (1864) It is very evident that the opposite to credulity is scepticism, and that to disbelieve is to believe. 3. intr. with in.: Not to believe in; to have no faith in.
- disbeliever: One who disbelieves or refuses belief; an unbeliever.
- unbeliever: One who does not believe; spec. one who does not accept a particular religious belief, an infidel.
Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged
- atheism: (from Greek atheos, "godless, not believing in the existence of gods) 1a: disbelief in the existence of God or any other deity b: the doctrine that there is neither God nor any other deity 2: godlessness esp. in conduct : ungodliness, wickedness.
- agnostic: (from Greek agnostos, "unknown, unknowable, not knowing) one who professes agnosticism; broadly: one who maintains a continuing doubt about the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimates <~... came into my head as suggestively antithetic to the gnostic of church history who professed to know so much — T. H. Huxley>
- agnosticism: 1a: the doctrine that the existence or nature of any ultimate reality is unknown and probbly unknowable or that any knowledge about matters of ultimate concern is impossible or improbable; specif: the doctrine that God or any first cause is unknown and probably unknowable. b: a doctrine affirming that the existence of a god is possible but denying that there are any sufficient reasons for holding either that he does or does not exist.
- disbelieve: vt to hold not to be true or real; reject or withhold belief in. ti to withhold or reject belief.
- unbeliever: 1: one that does not believe: an incredulous person : doubter, skeptic. 2: disbeliever, infidel.
Canadian Oxford Dictionary, 2001.
- atheism: disbelief in the existence of God or gods.
- disbelief: 1. lack of belief 2. astonishment
