Atheists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who hold no belief in the existence of any god or gods
2. Individuals who deny the existence of divine entities and thus do not adhere to any religion
3. Persons who reject the belief in any deity or divine being

Etymology: "Atheists" is the plural of "atheist," a noun for people who reject belief in any god. The word is built from two Greek parts: the prefix "a-," meaning "without," and "theos," meaning "god." Ancient Greek "atheos" meant "godless" or "without god," and it was a term of reproach, applied to those who rejected the gods of the city or were thought to disregard them. The word passed into English through French. Latin borrowed the Greek "atheos" as "atheos," and Middle French then produced "athéiste," formed from "athée" plus the suffix "-iste," meaning a person who holds a belief or practises something. English took the noun from that French form, and the plural follows the regular English pattern of adding "-s."

Synonyms: nonbelievers, agnostics, skeptics, irreligionists, disbelievers

Antonyms: theists, believers, religionists, faithful, devout