agnostic English · revision 1289

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /aɡˈnɒstɪk/ ''(UK)''; /æɡˈnɑstɪk/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It was coined by the biologist Thomas H. Huxley in 1869^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) from [[grc|ἄγνωστος|tr=ágnōstos|t=unknown, unknowable]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''a-'' “not” and ''gnōstós'' “known”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) after [[gnostic|alt=Gnostic]].^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Etymonline) Huxley said he meant it as the opposite of the Gnostics of church history, who claimed to know so much about the things of which he was ignorant.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ One who holds that the existence of anything beyond material phenomena is unknown and probably unknowable (1870).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Huxley coined the word for himself, as a man without a label among fellow intellectuals who had embraced various doctrines.^(AHD) The adjective is recorded from 1870 in Etymonline and 1873 in Merriam-Webster and the OED.^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989) The word broadened to mean noncommittal or undogmatic about anything,^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) and in computing, able to work with various systems or components.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1869 – coined by Huxley.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1870 – the noun, and ''agnosticism''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1873 – adjective.^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person who believes that the existence of [[God]] cannot be proved but does not deny that God may exist.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A person who doubts the possibility of ultimate knowledge in some area, or is unwilling to commit to an opinion.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of or relating to agnostics or [[agnosticism]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Noncommittal or undogmatic.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of a device or program, not tied to any particular system or component.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[agnostically]]

+ * [[agnosticism]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[agnosia]]

+ * [[gnostic]]

+ * [[gnosis]]

+ * [[know]]

+ * [[atheist]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House refers ''agnostic'' to its synonym discussion at ''atheist''.^(RHWU) Etymonline quotes Robert Ingersoll: the agnostic does not simply say “I do not know”, but adds that you do not know either.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}