Gnosis
noun /ˈnəʊ.sɪs/ — Direct, experiential spiritual knowledge — distinct from belief or intellectual faith
Definition
Knowledge of divine or spiritual truth acquired through direct experience rather than doctrine or faith — the knowing that comes from within, from mystical experience, from contact with something that cannot be fully articulated.
Beyond the definition
The knowing that cannot be taught. Gnosis is not learning about — it is knowing through. It is the difference between reading about light and opening your eyes. It is what mystics mean when they say they 'know' something they cannot prove.
Origin & history
From Greek 'gnosis' (knowledge, inquiry) — from 'gignoskein' (to know). Root of 'agnostic' (without knowledge) and 'diagnosis' (knowing through). In early Christianity and Hellenistic philosophy, gnosis referred to transcendent spiritual knowledge available through mystical experience.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The gnostics believed that salvation came not from faith but from gnosis — the direct experience of the divine hidden within.
There is a gnosis available in deep creative work that cannot be planned for — the moment when the making begins to know something the maker didn't.
She could not explain her certainty about the decision. It was gnosis: the knowing that arrives without argument, without proof.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Gnosis” when the meaning fits your context: Knowledge of divine or spiritual truth acquired through direct experience rather than doctrine or faith — the knowing that comes from within, from mystical experience, from contact with something that cannot be fully articulated.
Synonyms
direct knowing, mystical knowledge, illumination, insight
Antonyms
faith, belief, doctrine, agnosticism
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Gnosis" mean?
Gnosis is noun meaning: Direct, experiential spiritual knowledge — distinct from belief or intellectual faith. Knowledge of divine or spiritual truth acquired through direct experience rather than doctrine or faith — the knowing that comes from within, from mystical experience, from contact with something that cannot be fully articulated.
Where does the word "Gnosis" come from?
From Greek 'gnosis' (knowledge, inquiry) — from 'gignoskein' (to know). Root of 'agnostic' (without knowledge) and 'diagnosis' (knowing through). In early Christianity and Hellenistic philosophy, gnosis referred to transcendent spiritual knowledge available through mystical experience.