1. members of various early Christian sects who believed in gnosis, a special spiritual knowledge that leads to salvation
Usage: historical; religious studies

Examples

• The Gnostics believed that secret knowledge was necessary for spiritual salvation.
• Early church fathers wrote extensively against the teachings of the Gnostics.
• Many Gnostic texts were discovered in the Nag Hammadi library in Egypt.
• The Gnostics viewed the material world as fundamentally flawed or evil.
• Scholars study ancient Gnostic manuscripts to understand early Christian diversity.
• The Gospel of Thomas is considered one of the most important Gnostic writings.