agnostic
/æɡˈnɒstɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /æɡˈnɑːstɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ag-ˈnä-stik əg-/ (ame, mw) · /æɡˈnɒs.tɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /æɡˈnɑː.stɪk/ (ame, ipa)
agnostic — noun
- agnosticsingular
- agnosticsplural
1. a person who holds that whether a supreme being exists is something humans can n
a person who holds that whether a supreme being exists is something humans can never be certain about
Yuna was raised in a religious family, but she now describes herself as an agnostic.
used with 'describe oneself as'
The debate between the atheist and the agnostic went on for hours with no clear resolution.
contrasted with 'atheist'
An agnostic may attend religious ceremonies out of respect for family traditions.
During the philosophy class, Theo explained why he felt most comfortable calling himself an agnostic rather than an atheist.
Mei's grandfather was a lifelong agnostic who nevertheless found comfort in silent prayer.
- doubter
softer, less formal term; can apply to any area of uncertainty
- skeptic
implies a habit of questioning claims rather than a specific position on God
- non-believer
broader term that includes atheists; lacks the nuance of 'uncertainty about knowability'
文法句型
an agnostic
describe oneself as an agnostic
用法筆記
Commonly contrasted with 'atheist': while an atheist denies the existence of God, an agnostic simply states that the question cannot be settled by human reason.
常見錯誤
2. a person who avoids taking a clear position on a particular question or claim, o
a person who avoids taking a clear position on a particular question or claim, often because the evidence available does not seem strong enough to justify a firm conclusion
On the question of school uniforms, Diego remains an agnostic — he sees convincing arguments on both sides.
pattern: remain an agnostic on [topic]
The senator is a self-described agnostic when it comes to immigration reform, refusing to back either party's plan.
Kwame considers himself an agnostic on the topic of alternative medicine, not fully trusting it nor dismissing it.
When the journalist pushed for a verdict on the new policy, the director stayed an agnostic and asked for more data.
- undecided voter
specific to elections; less formal than 'agnostic'
- non-committal person
focuses on refusal to commit rather than on insufficient evidence
文法句型
an agnostic on/about [topic]
用法筆記
This is an extended, figurative use of the religious term. The topic is introduced with the prepositions 'on' or 'about' (e.g. 'an agnostic on immigration').
常見錯誤
agnostic — adjective
- agnosticpositive
- more agnosticcomparative
- most agnosticsuperlative
1. describing a person or viewpoint that regards the existence of a divine creator
describing a person or viewpoint that regards the existence of a divine creator as something beyond what human reasoning can determine
The author's agnostic position on religion is spelled out clearly in the first chapter of the book.
attributive use: agnostic position
Grace grew up in a strictly Christian home but describes her current outlook as broadly agnostic.
predicative use: describes as agnostic
An agnostic perspective does not deny that God might exist — it simply says we cannot be certain either way.
The survey found that the number of young adults holding agnostic beliefs has risen sharply over the past decade.
Omar's family accepted his agnostic stance, valuing honesty over pretense in matters of faith.
- skeptical
broader word; can apply to any claim, not just religious ones
- unsure
informal; does not carry the philosophical weight of 'agnostic'
- questioning
implies an active search rather than settled uncertainty
文法句型
agnostic views
be agnostic about God
用法筆記
Can be used both attributively ('agnostic beliefs') and predicatively ('she is agnostic'). The predicative form is often followed by 'about' when specifying the object of uncertainty.
常見錯誤
2. not committed to any particular position on a question or issue, typically becau
not committed to any particular position on a question or issue, typically because the available information does not clearly support one side over another
The committee remained agnostic on the funding proposal, asking for more data before making a decision.
pattern: remain agnostic on [topic]
Sophie's doctor was agnostic about vitamin supplements, saying the scientific evidence was still too mixed.
pattern: agnostic about [topic]
Many voters remain agnostic about the candidates, waiting for clearer policy proposals to emerge.
The report takes an intentionally agnostic stance on whether the new policy should be adopted, listing pros and cons equally.
Aviv is agnostic on the question of remote work, since his team has been productive under both arrangements.
- neutral
stronger sense of deliberate impartiality; less intellectual than 'agnostic'
- uncommitted
can imply indecision rather than principled uncertainty
文法句型
be agnostic about/on [topic]
remain agnostic
用法筆記
Frequently used in formal or professional contexts (reports, committees, expert opinions). The topic is introduced with 'about' or 'on'.
常見錯誤
3. designed to function with many different operating systems, devices, or computin
designed to function with many different operating systems, devices, or computing environments instead of being built for just one specific system
The company promotes its new app as platform-agnostic, working smoothly on both Android and iOS devices.
compound: platform-agnostic
Developers prefer agnostic programming languages that can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux without changes.
attributive: agnostic programming languages
Zara chose a vendor-agnostic cloud service so her company would not be locked into a single provider.
An agnostic data format allows files to be opened in any spreadsheet application, not just one brand.
The new smart home hub is device-agnostic and connects to products from dozens of different manufacturers.
- cross-platform
more common in everyday tech use; implies active support for multiple platforms rather than mere neutrality
- universal
broader claim about compatibility, not limited to platforms
- flexible
general term without the specific architecture meaning
- proprietary
tied to one company's system or format
- platform-specific
designed for only one operating environment
文法句型
platform-agnostic
device-agnostic
vendor-agnostic
用法筆記
In technology, 'agnostic' almost always appears as the second element of a compound adjective (platform-agnostic, device-agnostic, vendor-agnostic, language-agnostic). The compound usually precedes the noun it modifies.