Use atheist for a person who lacks belief in gods. It does not by itself say how certain the person is, whether they oppose religion, or what moral or political views they hold.
Use atheist for a person who lacks belief in gods. It does not by itself say how certain the person is, whether they oppose religion, or what moral or political views they hold.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| She is atheist. | She is an atheist. |
| Every atheist actively campaigns against religion. | Some atheists actively campaign against religion. |
| An atheist is necessarily certain that no gods exist. | An atheist does not believe in any gods, but may still be uncertain. |
Use atheist before a noun for a person, group, belief, or viewpoint connected with atheism. Atheistic is also correct and is often used for ideas or systems.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The atheist community holds many different political viewses. | The atheist community holds many different political views. |
| The public school follows an atheist curriculum that does not teach religion. | The public school follows a secular curriculum that does not teach religion. |
| She described herself as an atheist beliefs writer. | She described herself as a writer on atheist beliefs. |
Use atheist for lack of belief in gods, not as a synonym for hostility to religion. Agnostic concerns what can be known, so the labels can overlap.
She is atheist omits the article required before the singular noun, while secular rather than atheist describes something simply nonreligious.
From French athéiste, ultimately based on Greek átheos, meaning ‘without a god’, from a- ‘without’ and theos ‘god’.
What does atheist mean?
An atheist is a person who does not believe in any god or gods.
Can atheist be an adjective?
Yes. Atheist can describe a person, group, belief, or viewpoint connected with atheism.
What is the plural of atheist?
The plural is atheists.
What is the difference between atheist and agnostic?
Atheist concerns belief in gods, while agnostic concerns knowledge or certainty. A person may use both labels.
Does atheist mean opposed to religion?
No. An atheist lacks belief in gods but is not necessarily hostile to religion.
Are atheist and atheistic both correct adjectives?
Yes. Atheist is common before nouns such as writer or community, while atheistic often describes ideas or systems.
What is the opposite of atheist?
The direct opposite is theist, a person who believes in a god or gods.
Is atheist the same as secular?
No. Secular means nonreligious or separate from religion, while atheist specifically concerns belief in gods.
Is atheist formal or informal?
Atheist is neutral and is used in both formal and informal contexts.