word choice - Odd use of agnostic


I have heard and used agnostic to denote "uncaring". I was recently corrected on my usage of the word which got me thinking. What word should I use? Uncaring seems incorrect.


Some examples:



  • This new applesauce recipe is truly apple agnostic.
    Meaning it tastes great with any apple cultivar.

  • My new computer backup tool is OS agnostic.
    Meaning the tool works on any computer regardless of which operating system is running/installed.

  • The study on american morality is God agnostic.
    Meaning the study draws its conclusions without making a statement about the existence of God.


The meaning seems to be that something continues to function with disregard to a particular attribute or detail.



Answer



The word has roots in theological or spiritual matters, specifically that the existence of God is unknown or unknowable.


In technical and marketing literature, agnostic often has a meaning close to independent—for example, "platform agnostic" or "hardware agnostic."1 The implication is that the property specified does not affect the object in question.


Another alternative for the latter meaning could be uninfluenced or unaffected.


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