deist
UK[ˈdeɪ.ɪst]US[ˈdeɪ.ɪst]
n
a person who believes in a god or gods but rejects the belief in a supernatural god who intervenes in human affairs, especially one who believes in a god known only through reason and nature.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
ist
de
god
ist
one who believes in
Etymology
the word deist is a modern formation from the latin root 'deus', meaning 'god', combined with the agent suffix '-ist', which denotes an adherent of a particular doctrine. the latin 'deus' itself traces back to the proto-indo-european root dyeu-, meaning 'to shine' and by extension 'sky, sky father, god'. the suffix '-ist' entered english via latin from greek, where it indicated a person engaged in a specific art or practice. thus, the term literally means 'one who holds a belief concerning god', specifically crystallizing in the 17th century to describe a rationalistic belief in a non-intervening creator, distinct from the revealed god of theism.
Analysis
Structure: de (god) + ist (one who believes in)
- de: from latin 'deus', meaning 'god'. origin: latin.
- ist: a suffix forming agent nouns, meaning 'one who believes in or practices'. origin: greek -istes, via latin -ista.
Examples
many enlightenment thinkers were deists, believing in a creator who established natural laws but did not perform miracles.
his philosophical writings clearly mark him as a deist rather than a traditional christian.
the concept of a divine watchmaker is a classic metaphor used by deists.