Ongelofene

Ongelofene is a Dutch term that typically refers to a person who does not believe in a religion or in God. In standard Dutch the most common noun form is ongelovige (de ongelovige; meervoud: ongelovigen). The spelling ongefeldene or other variants may appear in historical texts or as a misspelling, but they are not the standard form.

Etymology and form: The term is built from the prefix on- meaning not and the stem geloof, meaning belief, combined with the adjective form -ig to create ongelovig (unbelieving) and the noun ongelovige (unbeliever). In practice, ongelovige describes someone who rejects religious claims in general or who does not subscribe to a particular faith. It is typically a descriptive label and can carry neutral or pejorative connotations depending on tone and context.

Usage and nuance: In sociological or historical writing, the word describes a category of persons without religious belief. In contemporary public discourse, it may appear alongside terms such as atheïst (atheist) or niet-gelovige (non-believer). The choice of term can reflect the speaker’s stance toward religion and belief; ongelofene is less common in everyday language, and more precise terminology is often used to distinguish between belief, disbelief, and atheism.

See also: gelovige; atheïst; secularisme.