Definition

1. Noun:
   • The lack of belief in the existence of God or gods: This is the broadest sense, encompassing both the absence of a belief in deities and the positive rejection of such beliefs.
   • The doctrine or belief that there is no God: This is a more specific, positive assertion that deities do not exist.

Usage

• Atheism is a philosophical position regarding the existence of deities. It is not necessarily a belief system or religion itself, but a stance on a specific metaphysical question.
• It is typically used in discussions of religion, philosophy, and personal belief.

Examples

• Noun:
  • His atheism was a result of years of philosophical study.
  • The debate focused on the arguments for and against atheism.

Advanced Usage

• Positive vs. Negative Atheism: In philosophical contexts, a distinction is sometimes made. "Positive atheism" (or strong atheism) is the explicit belief that gods do not exist. "Negative atheism" (or weak atheism) is simply the absence of belief in gods, which includes agnosticism in its broadest sense.
  • He described his position as negative atheism, as he made no claim about the impossibility of a god, only that he saw no evidence for one.
• The New Atheism: A term for a 21st-century movement of atheist writers and thinkers who actively advocate for atheism, secularism, and science, and are often critical of religion.
  • The books of Richard Dawkins are often associated with the New Atheism.

Variants and Related Words

• Atheist (noun): A person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods.
  • She is an atheist.
• Atheistic (adjective): Pertaining to or characteristic of atheists or atheism.
  • An atheistic worldview.
• Atheistical (adjective): Another form of "atheistic."

Synonyms

• Disbelief: Lack of belief.
• Godlessness: The state of being without a god or gods.
• Irreligion: Indifference to or rejection of religion.
• Nonbelief: Absence of belief, especially in a religious context.

Antonyms

• Theism: Belief in the existence of a god or gods.
• Belief: Acceptance that something exists or is true, especially without proof.
• Faith: Strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction.

Related Phrases

• Militant atheism: A term, sometimes pejorative, for atheism that is assertively oppositional to religious belief.
  • He was accused of militant atheism for his harsh criticism of religious institutions.

Noun

1. a lack of belief in the existence of God or gods
2. the doctrine or belief that there is no God