nonbelievers
Those without faith
Nonbelievers are people who don't hold a particular belief, especially religious faith.
The term typically appears from the perspective of believers describing those outside their faith: The missionary sought to convert nonbelievers.
It can sound dismissive or othering, implying the belief in question is the default position.
Also spelled non-believers.
Ethics-focused secular philosopher
- secularistAdvocate for nonreligious governance
- materialistValues physical over spiritual
- naturalistStudent of nature
- worldlyExperienced in practical affairs
nonreligious · irreligious · unchurched · layperson · positivist · realist · pragmatist · temporal
Lacking belief in deities
- infidelNonbeliever in another's creed
- hereticChallenger of official doctrine
- heathenIrreligious nonbeliever
- paganNon-mainstream religion follower
apostate · antitheist · freethinker · blasphemer · kafir · gentile · faithless · unchurched
One who disbelieves
- questionerOne who poses inquiries
- agnosticFlexible across platforms
- cynicDoubter of good intentions
- rationalistOne guided by reason
empiricist · debunker · challenger · scrutinizer · unconvinced · incredulous · distrustful · wary
One excluded from group
- dissenterOpponent of orthodoxy
- nonconformistRejects prevailing social standards
- rebelAuthority defier
- hereticChallenger of official doctrine
iconoclast · contrarian · minority · other · stranger · convert · proselyte · target
humanist
Ethics-focused secular philosopher
- secularistAdvocate for nonreligious governance
- materialistValues physical over spiritual
- naturalistStudent of nature
worldly · nonreligious · irreligious · unchurched · layperson · positivist · realist · pragmatist · temporal · earthly
godless
Lacking belief in deities
- infidelNonbeliever in another's creed
- hereticChallenger of official doctrine
- heathenIrreligious nonbeliever
pagan · apostate · antitheist · freethinker · blasphemer · kafir · gentile · faithless · unchurched · lapsed
doubter
One who disbelieves
- questionerOne who poses inquiries
- agnosticFlexible across platforms
- cynicDoubter of good intentions
rationalist · empiricist · debunker · challenger · scrutinizer · unconvinced · incredulous · distrustful · wary · suspicious
outsider
One excluded from group
- dissenterOpponent of orthodoxy
- nonconformistRejects prevailing social standards
- rebelAuthority defier
heretic · iconoclast · contrarian · minority · other · stranger · convert · proselyte · target · persecuted
- nonbelieversatheist, atheists, agnostic, agnostics, unbelievers
nonbelieversbelievers
Those having faith
theists · faithful · worshippers · adherents · followers
nonbelieverstrue believers
Unwavering adherents to doctrine
zealots · practitioners · fundamentalists · fanatics · evangelists