Meaning & use

pagan

noun·Academic

A person who holds religious beliefs outside the major world religions, especially polytheistic or pre-Christian traditions.

See it in a sentence

Historians study how pagan festivals gradually blended with Christian holidays in Europe.

Modern pagans often base their practices on ancient nature-centered religions.

A note on using this word

Pagan was historically used by Christians as a label for outsiders and can sound dismissive, though many modern pagans use it proudly for their own beliefs.

Words with a similar meaning

heathenpolytheist

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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