Theists, atheists, and agnostics alike are often confused about the finer details concerning the relationship between atheism and agnosticism, and between theism and agnosticism.

Frequently they point to a dictionary definition of agnosticism that supplies the broadest sense of the term, which Merriam-Webster points out.

1: a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable ; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god

Individuals broadly defining themselves as agnostics might say they don’t know if god exists or that they haven’t made up their minds. This suggests they could potentially arrive at either a theistic or atheistic conclusion about god. Agnostics defining themselves this way very often (but not always) confuse the specific, philosophical meaning of agnosticism and fail to understand how an atheist or a theist could also be agnostic.

I’ve briefly discussed the relationship between atheism and agnosticism before, so I won’t review it again. You can also read Austin Cline’s explanation at About.com. I have, however, created an image illustrating the overlap among agnosticism, atheism, and theism. Feel free to use it yourself if you think it would be helpful in a discussion!