antinomians
|an-ti-no-mi-ans|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tɪˈnoʊ.mi.ənz/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tɪˈnəʊ.mi.ənz/
(antinomian)
against (religious) law
Etymology
'antinomian' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'anti-' and 'nomos', where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'nomos' meant 'law'.
'antinomian' passed into Late Latin/New Latin as 'antinomianus' (used in theological contexts) and entered English in the 17th century as 'antinomian', later forming the plural 'antinomians'.
Initially, it meant 'one who is against (the) law' in a theological sense; over time it has retained that religious sense while also gaining a broader meaning of 'one who rejects laws or moral norms'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who (in theology) believes that under the gospel dispensation of grace the moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation; a proponent of antinomianism.
Antinomians argued that faith, not obedience to the law, determined salvation.
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Noun 2
a person who rejects or opposes laws, moral rules, or established social norms (used more generally, often pejorative).
Some antinomians openly defied local customs and moral expectations.
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Last updated: 2025/09/05 09:02