agnostic
UK[æɡˈnɒstɪk]US[æɡˈnɑːstɪk]
n
A person who believes that it is impossible to know whether or not God exists.
adj
Relating to the belief that it is impossible to know whether God exists.
Morpheme Breakdown
a
gnost
ic
a
without
gnost
knowledge
ic
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'agnostic' is a modern philosophical coinage, created in 1869 by the English biologist T.H. Huxley. He combined the Greek privative prefix a- ("without" or "not") with gnōstos ("known"), a term related to gnosis ("knowledge"). This construction was a deliberate parallel to the ancient term 'Gnostic,' which referred to those claiming special spiritual knowledge. Thus, 'agnostic' literally means "without knowledge," specifically articulating the position that ultimate truths, particularly regarding the divine, are unknown and perhaps unknowable, in contrast to both theistic belief and atheistic certainty.
Analysis
Structure: a (without) + gnost (knowledge) + ic (adjective suffix)
a-: A Greek prefix meaning "without," "not," or "lacking."
gnost: From the Greek gnōstos, meaning "known" or "knowledgeable," derived from the verb gignōskein, "to know."
-ic: A suffix of Greek origin via Latin, used to form adjectives meaning "of, pertaining to, or characteristic of."
Examples
He describes himself as an agnostic rather than an atheist.
The agnostic viewpoint holds that answers to metaphysical questions are inherently inaccessible.
Her agnostic stance on the afterlife is based on a lack of empirical evidence.