unbelieving
Meaning
not having religious faith; skeptical or atheistic.
showing doubt or refusal to accept something as true.
Structure
Usage
he addressed the crowd of unbelieving scientists with patience.
she gave him an unbelieving look when he told his outrageous story.
the text was aimed at guiding unbelieving hearts toward faith.
Etymology
The word "unbelieving" is a transparent English formation built from native Germanic elements. The core verb "believe" originates from Old English terms related to holding something dear or agreeable, which evolved to signify mental acceptance and trust. The prefix "un-," a common negator in English, is attached to the present participle form "believing," creating an adjective that literally means "not believing." This straightforward morphological process yields a term that describes a state of skepticism, doubt, or lack of faith, whether in a religious or general context.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not," used to form negatives. - believe: a verb of germanic origin (old english belyfan, gelēfan), meaning to accept something as true or real. - ing: a suffix of germanic origin (old english -ende, -inge) used to form present participles and adjectives from verbs.