Agnostic
Etymology
From Greek “a-” (without) plus “gnōsis” (knowledge), so “without knowledge.” The biologist Thomas Henry Huxley coined it in 1869 to describe his own refusal to claim knowledge either way about the divine. In computing the word later spun off a neutral sense — “platform-agnostic” — meaning indifferent to or unconstrained by a particular system.
noun · /ag-NOS-tik/
A person who holds that whether God exists is unknown or unknowable.
What it names
A stance about knowledge rather than belief — "I can't know," distinct from "I don't believe."
Example
He called himself agnostic, not atheist: the point wasn’t denial but the honest admission that he couldn’t know.
Related idea
An atheist makes a claim about belief — that there is no God; an agnostic makes a claim about knowledge — that the answer is not (or cannot be) known.
adjective · /ag-NOS-tik/
In technology, not tied to or dependent on any particular system, platform, or format.
What it names
neutral, universal compatibility.
Example
The app is platform-agnostic, running on any device.
Related idea
Borrows the “takes no position” sense — here, committing to no single platform.
See also