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Lexicon.

theism

noun [ˈθiɪzəm]
pronunciation CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, open source

Theism is a philosophical and worldview stance that affirms God or a highest intelligence as real and stands against atheism in debates about religion.

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Definitions

  1. A doctrine or attitude that accepts the reality of God (usually personal) as a ground of reality, of morality, or of both.
    source Editorial team (in-house source, no external address)
  2. In a narrower academic register: acknowledgment of God with varying views of revelation, from full affirmation of revealed tradition to a model close to deism; the scope depends on the author and the period.
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  3. In public debate: a loose label for religious faith, or for the camp that defends God against unbelief, sometimes used without philosophical precision.
    source Editorial team (in-house source, no external address)

Examples

Usage

In casual speech theism often stands for being a believer, for church membership, or for a blunt opposite of unbelief. Scholarly writing gains clarity when it splits three layers: metaphysical affirmation of God, argument about revelation and historical intervention, and an identity tag in cultural dispute. Political rhetoric is especially loose, because the label can signal community and also serve as a charge of dogmatism. Say whether you mean a doctrine, a personal stance, or an argumentative move. Without that frame theism slides into monotheism, deism or ordinary religious practice.

source Editorial team (in-house source, no external address)

Webster 1913 glosses Theism as affirming that a God exists, set against atheism, pantheism or polytheism, and lists Theist beside it. Skeat under THEISM describes a coinage from Greek θεός plus -ism (Gk. -ισμός), marks Not related to L. deus, and places theist and atheist among the derivatives. Those public-domain entries supply lexical facts; the service definition is written independently of their wording.

source Editorial team; facts: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1913; W. W. Skeat, An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, 1910, open source

Frequent pairings include classical theism, personal theism, critique of theism, tradition of theism, and debate over theism. Theist as a noun names someone who holds the stance; theistic is the usual adjective. Careful usage keeps theism apart from bare monotheism and from deism: deists typically grant a Maker yet curb or dismiss revealed teaching and historical intervention. Authors still place those borders differently.

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Formally the noun attaches Greek θεός to the suffix -ism, as Skeat notes under THEISM. Webster 1913 already lists Theism and Theist as headwords and sets the lemma opposite atheism, pantheism and polytheism. Our senses rest on those public-domain facts plus editorial wording, not on a modern encyclopaedia paraphrase.

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Word forms

Regular English noun, usually uncountable; the plural theisms is rare and refers to different kinds or national versions of the stance.

word forms

przypadek forma
singular theism
plural theisms

Word forms: Editorial team

Collocations

Synonyms · Antonyms

Synonyms belief in God, acknowledgment of God's existence, personal theism (narrower register)
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Antonyms atheism, disbelief in God, denial of God's existence
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Etymology

English theism belongs to a modern Greek-European family based on θεός (a god) plus the suffix -ism. Skeat under THEISM records a coinage from θεός plus -ism (Gk. -ισμός), notes that the line is not related to Latin deus, and lists theist and atheist among the derivatives. Webster 1913 opens Theism for belief that a God exists, opposed to atheism, pantheism, or polytheism, and records Theist beside it. Our definition is written independently of the wording of those dictionaries.
source W. W. Skeat, An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed., Oxford 1910, open source
also Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1913, open source

Related words

Related entries

Questions and answers

What does theism mean?

In philosophy it names affirmation that God, or a highest intelligence, exists. A narrower register also covers debate about revelation and about whether God is personal. Outside the academy it can stand for religious faith, or for the camp arguing against unbelief. Scope depends on whether the text is academic, everyday or rhetorical.

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Where does the word theism come from?

Its root is Greek θεός (a god) joined to the suffix -ism. Skeat under THEISM traces that coinage and notes that it is not related to Latin deus. Webster 1913 opens a separate entry for Theism. The English lemma joins that Greek stem to -ism in the modern European lexical exchange.

source W. W. Skeat, An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed., Oxford 1910, open source

How is theism inflected in English?

As a regular English noun it is usually uncountable. A plural theisms shows up only when writers separate national or doctrinal strands. Nearby forms include theist, theistic, atheism and θεός (Webster 1913; Skeat 1910).

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How is theism different from deism?

They do not always match. Deism usually grants a Maker, yet often curbs or dismisses revealed teaching and intervention in history. Theism in this service means acknowledgment that God exists; the stance on revelation must be stated in context. Everyday speech often blurs the two labels.

source Editorial team (in-house source, no external address)