Nullifidian

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌnʌl.əˈfɪd.i.ən/

Definitions

1. A person displaying no belief in religious faith or a deity is often regarded as lacking spiritual conviction or commitment
2. Someone characterized by skepticism or indifference toward religious beliefs indicates a pronounced absence of faith in spiritual doctrines
3. A person who exhibits a complete lack of belief in religion or spiritual matters is seen as having no faith in any divine entity or religious practices

Etymology: Nullifidian is built from parts that each carry a clear, ordinary meaning. The first, "nulli-", comes from Latin "nūllus", meaning "not any," and the second, "fidēs," means "belief" or "faith," from the same root that gives English "faith" and "fidelity." The English suffix "-ian" turns the pair into a noun for someone who belongs to or is characterised by the condition described. Put together, the word names a person who has no faith. A close Latin relative, "nullifidius," already existed in the Late Latin period, where it meant "infidel," so the English coinage follows a path that Latin speakers had taken before it. The word thus reads almost like a literal translation of "without faith," with the Latin prefix doing the work that English "un-" or "non-" would otherwise do.