Meanings
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1
adj
not believing in or acknowledging a god or gods
The pamphlet portrayed the secular republic as a godless society.
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2
adj
impious or wicked, especially in strongly disapproving religious language
The preacher condemned the exploitation of the poor as godless conduct.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Formed in Old English from god and the privative suffix -less, literally 'without God.' Cognates occur across Germanic languages. Alongside its literal religious sense, the word acquired a strongly judgmental sense, 'wicked or impious,' which should be read as the speaker's evaluation rather than a neutral description.