An atheist does not believe in gods, while an agnostic says it’s unknown or unknowable if God exists. The two can overlap.
Atheist
An atheist doesn’t believe in any gods (lack of belief). Some atheists claim that no god exists.
Agnostic
An agnostic holds that the existence of God is unknown or unknowable. The word was coined by Thomas Huxley in 1869.
Overlap
The two are not exclusive: agnostic describes knowledge, atheist describes belief. A person can be an agnostic atheist or an agnostic theist.
Numbers
The Pew Research Center (2023) found 5 percent of US adults call themselves atheist and 5 percent agnostic. About 28 percent are religiously unaffiliated overall.
Related
Theist: belief in God. Nones: no religious affiliation.
Definitions in more detail
The two words answer different questions. Theism is about belief: do you believe a god or gods exist. Gnosis is about knowledge: do you claim to know. Atheism means not believing in any god. Agnosticism means holding that the existence of god is unknown or unknowable. The word agnostic was coined by biologist Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869. Atheism comes from the Greek “a-theos”, “without god”.
Atheist in practice
Atheists lack belief in deities. Some atheists make the stronger claim that no gods exist (strong or explicit atheism), while most simply do not hold a belief (weak or implicit atheism). Atheism is not a single worldview, and atheists have a range of ethical views. Many take a naturalistic, scientific approach.
Agnostic in practice
Agnostics say they do not know whether a god exists, or that the question cannot be settled with the available evidence. Some are agnostic about specific claims, and some about all of them. Many agnostics also do not hold belief and so are agnostic atheists, while others who lean toward belief are agnostic theists.
How they overlap
The terms can be combined:
- Agnostic atheist: does not believe, and does not claim to know.
- Gnostic atheist: does not believe, and claims to know no gods exist.
- Agnostic theist: believes in a god but does not claim certain knowledge.
- Gnostic theist: believes and claims to know.
Many people who describe themselves as agnostic fit the agnostic atheist category if they do not hold belief.
Numbers
A 2023 Pew Research Center study found that 28% of US adults are religiously unaffiliated, called “nones,” including 5% atheists, 6% agnostics and 17% “nothing in particular”. Globally, about 16% of the world population is religiously unaffiliated, with large numbers in China, according to Pew.
Related terms
- Nonreligious or secular: no religious affiliation.
- Humanist: a nonreligious ethical outlook based on reason and compassion.
- Deist: believes in a creator that does not intervene.
- Apatheist: does not care whether gods exist.
- Skeptic: questions claims that lack evidence, not specifically about religion.
Common misunderstanding
Atheism and agnosticism are not the same, and agnosticism is not a midpoint between belief and disbelief. Neither is a religion, though some groups organize around them.
Surveys and clarifications
The two words answer different questions. Atheism concerns belief about whether gods exist, and agnosticism concerns what can be known. A person can be an agnostic atheist (lacks belief and says the question is unknowable) or an agnostic theist. The term agnostic was coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869. In the 2021 Pew Research survey, about 4 percent of US adults identified as atheist and 5 percent as agnostic, while 17 percent said they were “nothing in particular.” Globally, around 16 percent of people are religiously unaffiliated, per Pew data from 2020, with large variation by country.
Based on data from the Pew Research Center
