Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Atheism is the lack of belief in the existence of God or gods. It is a position on religion that differs from theism, which posits the existence of divine entities.
Related terms
Agnosticism: A position where an individual neither believes nor disbelieves in God or gods, often stating that it is impossible to know for sure whether any deity exists.
Secularism: The principle of separating the state from religious institutions to ensure that people of different religions and beliefs are equal before the law.
Theism: The belief in one or more gods, holding faith in their existence as a central aspect of religion