non-believer

non-believer — noun

1. a person who holds no religious faith and does not accept the teachings of any r

1.nounB2
Definition

a person who holds no religious faith and does not accept the teachings of any religion

Example

Tunde came from a religious family but became a non-believer after studying philosophy.

became a non-believer after + life event

The local church group welcomed everyone to their dinner, believers and non-believers alike.

believers and non-believers alike — contrasting pair

Common collocations
  • committed non-believer
  • self-described non-believer
  • non-believer in God
  • believers and non-believers
Synonyms
  • atheist

    stronger term; someone who actively believes no god exists

  • agnostic

    someone who believes it is impossible to know whether a god exists

  • unbeliever

    slightly more formal or archaic; often appears in religious texts

Antonyms
  • believer

    someone who holds religious faith

  • theist

    someone who believes in the existence of a god or gods

Grammar Patterns

a + non-believer

the + non-believers

believers and non-believers

Usage Note

Often used as a milder or more general term than 'atheist'. A non-believer may simply lack religious faith rather than actively assert that no god exists.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe someone who does not hold religious beliefs, but they differ in strength and connotation. Non-believer is the gentlest and most neutral term — it simply states an absence of religious faith without making a positive claim. Atheist is more assertive; an atheist actively rejects the idea that a god exists. Agnostic takes a different position entirely, focusing on knowledge rather than belief: an agnostic says it is impossible to know whether a god exists. Unbeliever is slightly older in tone and is most often found in religious writing, where it contrasts with 'believer'. Infidel is strongly negative and historically loaded, used (especially in older texts) to label someone who rejects a dominant religion. In everyday conversation, non-believer or atheist is appropriate; infidel should be avoided unless quoting historical material.

atheist ↗agnosticunbelieverinfidel

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • believers and non-believers
  • the rights of non-believers
  • a non-believer in God

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

Formed by adding the prefix non- (meaning 'not') to the noun believer. Believer comes from the Old English word belēfan ('to trust, to have faith'), which traces back to the Germanic root *galaubjan. The compound non-believer has been used in English since the 1500s, primarily in religious and philosophical discussion.