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Agnostic vs Ignorant - What's the difference?

agnostic | ignorant |

As adjectives the difference between agnostic and ignorant

is that agnostic is of or relating to agnosticism or its adherents while ignorant is unknowledgeable or uneducated; characterized by ignorance.

As a noun agnostic

is a person who holds to a form of agnosticism, especially uncertainty of the existence of a deity.

agnostic

Noun

(en noun)
  • A person who holds to a form of agnosticism, especially uncertainty of the existence of a deity.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date = 1876-06-01
  • , first = Leslie , last = Stephen , authorlink = Leslie Stephen , title = An Agnostic's Apology , magazine = The Forthnightly Review , volume = 25/19 , issue = 114 , page = 840 , url = http://books.google.com/books?id=1WVIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA840 , passage = The Agnostic is one who asserts—what no one denies—that there are limits to the sphere of human intelligence. }}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date = 1953-11-03
  • , first = Bertrand , last = Russell , authorlink = Bertrand Russell , title = What is an Agnostic? , magazine = Look , url = http://scepsis.ru/eng/articles/id_5.php , passage = An agnostic thinks it impossible to know the truth in matters such as God and the future life with which Christianity and other religions are concerned. }}
  • * {{quote-book, year = 1985
  • , title = Contact: a novel , first = Carl , last = Sagan , authorlink = Carl Sagan , publisher = Simon and Schuster , location = New York , isbn = 978-0671434007 , page = 175 , passage = When I say I'm an agnostic , I only mean that the evidence isn't in. There isn't compelling evidence that God exists — at least your kind of god — and there isn't compelling evidence that he doesn't. }}

    Coordinate terms

    * deist

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of or relating to agnosticism or its adherents.
  • * {{quote-book, year = 1889
  • , title = Agnosticism , first = Thomas Henry , last = Huxley , authorlink = Thomas Henry Huxley , url = http://aleph0.clarku.edu/huxley/CE5/Agn.html , passage = In matters of the intellect do not pretend that conclusions are certain which are not demonstrated or demonstrable. That I take to be the agnostic faith, which if a man keep whole and undefiled, he shall not be ashamed to look the universe in the face, whatever the future may have in store for him. }}
    His agnostic viewpoint is summarized in his book.
  • Doubtful or uncertain about the existence or demonstrability of God or other deity.
  • She left the church when she became agnostic .
  • (computing) A software component (or other entity) that is unaware or noncommittal regarding the specific nature of the components with which it interacts; polymorphic; modular; pluggable
  • The socket communications layer is agnostic''' with regard to its underlying transport mechanism -- it is “transport-'''agnostic ”.
  • (usually with a prepositional phrase) Having no firmly held opinions on an issue or matter of uncertainty.
  • I'm agnostic on whether ethanol is a green fuel
    He says he's agnostic concerning the Secretary's claims.

    See also

    * atheist * sceptic , skeptic (Mainly US) *

    ignorant

    English

    Alternative forms

    * ignoraunt (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Unknowledgeable or uneducated; characterized by ignorance.
  • * Tillotson
  • He that doth not know those things which are of use for him to know, is but an ignorant man, whatever he may know besides.
  • * Dryden
  • Ignorant of guilt, I fear not shame.
  • (slang) Ill-mannered, crude.
  • His manner was at best off-hand, at worst totally ignorant .
  • (obsolete) unknown; undiscovered
  • * Shakespeare
  • ignorant concealment
  • * Shakespeare
  • Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed?
  • Resulting from ignorance; foolish; silly.
  • * Shakespeare
  • His shipping, / Poor ignorant baubles! — on our terrible seas, / Like eggshells moved.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * ignorantly