atheist

atheist — noun

1. a person who holds the view that no god exists, and who therefore rejects every

1.nounB2
Definition

a person who holds the view that no god exists, and who therefore rejects every form of religion built on belief in a god.

Example

Tova called himself an atheist after reading several books on science and philosophy.

call oneself an atheist

Although Kofi was raised Catholic, he became an atheist during his university years.

become an atheist

Common collocations
  • a committed atheist
  • a devout atheist
  • a lifelong atheist
  • self-described atheist
  • become an atheist
Synonyms
  • non-believer

    broader; can include people who simply have no religion, not only those who reject god

  • unbeliever

    older and often used from a religious viewpoint to label outsiders

  • freethinker

    stresses forming opinions through reason rather than denial of god itself

Antonyms
  • believer

    general term for someone who follows a religion

  • theist

    technical opposite: someone who believes a god exists

Grammar Patterns

a/an + atheist

atheist + relative clause

Usage Note

Countable; almost always introduced with 'a/an' or used in the plural. Frequently paired with degree adjectives such as 'committed', 'devout', 'lifelong', or 'self-described' to show how strongly the person holds the view.

Common Mistakes

He is atheist.
He is an atheist.
as a noun it needs the article 'a/an' or a determiner.
She is an atheist of Christianity.
She is an atheist.' or 'She rejects Christianity.
atheist means rejecting belief in any god, not opposing one specific religion.

atheist — adjective

Word family

  • atheism
    nounC1
  • atheistic
    adjectiveC1
  • atheistically
    adverbC2
  • theist
    nounC2
  • theism
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

An 'atheist' takes a clear position: no god exists. An 'agnostic' is more careful, saying we cannot really know whether a god exists, so they neither claim belief nor denial. 'Non-believer' is the widest label — it covers anyone outside an active faith, including atheists, agnostics, and people who simply never thought about religion. 'Freethinker' shifts the focus from the conclusion to the method: someone who insists on reaching their own opinions through evidence and reason, often (but not always) ending up close to atheism. So Nadia, who firmly says 'there is no god', is an atheist; her brother Leo, who says 'maybe, who knows?', is an agnostic; both of them are non-believers; and their grandfather, who reads widely and doubts every authority, calls himself a freethinker.

atheist ↗agnosticnon-believer ↗freethinker

Common collocations

Nouns

  • atheist views
  • atheist movement
  • atheist community
  • atheist writer

Adverbs

Phrases

  • come out as an atheist
  • raised by atheist parents
  • a self-described atheist

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

English borrowed 'atheist' in the late 1500s from French 'athéiste', which itself came from Greek 'átheos' — built from 'a-' meaning 'without' and 'theós' meaning 'god'. The Greek term originally pointed at people who rejected the official gods of their city; in modern English the word settled into its current meaning of someone who denies any god at all. The related noun 'atheism' and adjective 'atheistic' were formed in English shortly after.