as in disbelief
refusal to accept something as true
my nonbelief in UFO's should not be construed as an unshakable belief in their nonexistence—I'm just waiting for proof
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Recent Examples of nonbelief
But Einstein also closed his letter with a sentiment that is often overlooked in the complicated and, in fact, wildly diverse landscape of American nonbelief, including atheism and its less strident cousin, agnosticism.
—
Harry Bruinius, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2019
In the mid-2000s, atheist figures such as the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, a writer who has a doctorate in neuroscience, brought nonbelief into the public sphere—and onto the New York Times bestseller list.
—Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2018
Yet, religious nonbelief is often heavily stigmatized, potentially leading many atheists to refrain from outing themselves even in anonymous polls.
—Scott Canon, kansascity, 1 May 2017
Harry Bruinius, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2019
In the mid-2000s, atheist figures such as the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, a writer who has a doctorate in neuroscience, brought nonbelief into the public sphere—and onto the New York Times bestseller list.
—Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2018
Yet, religious nonbelief is often heavily stigmatized, potentially leading many atheists to refrain from outing themselves even in anonymous polls.
—Scott Canon, kansascity, 1 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonbelief
Noun
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There was almost an element of disbelief when the Liverpool lineup was released.—
James Nalton,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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DiCaprio makes a great, vital has-been, squinting at the horrors around him in disbelief, but mostly, driven by the need to protect his child.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In the province of Alberta, Calgary’s council voted in 2011 to stop fluoridation in part because of community skepticism and because expensive repairs to the equipment were needed, according to Councillor Gian-Carlo Carrà.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
18 Sep. 2025
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Others echoed Kennedy's skepticism of federal health agencies.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But the indirect benefits seem to reflect a posture against green energy, related to unbelief in climate change, and these lead to support for inefficient energy alternatives like nuclear and geothermal and gas-fired turbines.—
Ian Dexter Palmer,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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The historical abnormality of modern-day unbelief was a theme of Pope Benedict XVI’s in the years before, during, and after his pontificate.—
Katherine Howell,
National Review,
30 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Nonbelief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonbelief. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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