noun
- the belief in one God as the creator and ruler of the universe, without rejection of revelation (distinguished from deism).
- belief in the existence of a god or gods (opposed to atheism).
noun
- the form of the belief in one God as the transcendent creator and ruler of the universe that does not necessarily entail further belief in divine revelationCompare deism
- the belief in the existence of a God or godsCompare atheism
adj.1780, from theist + -ic. n.“belief in a deity,” 1670s; see theist. Meaning “belief in one god” (as opposed to polytheism) is recorded from 1711.