pagan

pagan — adjective

1. connected with an older religion outside the main world faiths, often one with s

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

connected with an older religion outside the main world faiths, often one with several gods.

Example

The museum displayed pagan statues from ancient Greece beside Roman coins.

collocation: pagan statues

Local farmers kept some pagan spring customs after the empire became Christian.

Common collocations
  • pagan gods
  • pagan temple
  • pagan ritual
  • pagan priest
  • pagan custom
Synonyms
  • polytheistic

    more precise when the focus is belief in many gods

  • pre-Christian

    stresses that the religion existed before Christianity spread

  • heathen

    older and often disapproving, unlike the more neutral historical use of 'pagan'

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

pagan + noun

pagan gods/temples/rituals

Usage Note

Common in history, literature, and discussion of older religions. Distinguish from adjective sense 2, which refers to present-day belief groups rather than ancient ones.

Common Mistakes

The museum showed paganism statues.
The museum showed pagan statues.
'pagan' is the adjective; 'paganism' is the religion or belief system.

2. connected with a present-day religion outside the main world faiths, often cente

2.adjectiveC2
Definition

connected with a present-day religion outside the main world faiths, often centered on nature.

Example

The shop sells pagan candles, herbs, and books about moon rituals.

modern pagan objects and practice

Lena joined a pagan group that meets in the forest monthly.

pattern: pagan group

Common collocations
  • pagan group
  • pagan wedding
  • pagan festival
  • pagan event
  • pagan leader
Synonyms
  • neo-pagan

    a more exact label for modern forms of pagan belief

  • nature-based

    describes the focus on nature but is broader than 'pagan'

  • earth-centered

    highlights respect for nature and seasonal practice

Grammar Patterns

pagan + noun

pagan group/festival/wedding

Usage Note

Usually refers to present-day groups, events, and beliefs, and some followers write it with an uppercase P. Distinguish from adjective sense 1, which is mainly about older religions in history.

Common Mistakes

Nina joined a paganism group.
Nina joined a pagan group.
'paganism' names the religion; 'pagan' describes the group.

pagan — noun

Word family

  • paganism
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Pagan is a broad word for a follower of an older religion outside the main world faiths, especially one with many gods. In older Christian writing, it could also mean someone outside Christianity more generally. Polytheist is more neutral and exact because it only describes belief in more than one god. Heathen is older and often insulting, so it is risky in modern neutral description. Idolater is strongly disapproving and stresses image worship, not a full religious identity. Neo-pagan is the better term for modern movements such as Wicca, so it matches noun sense 3 rather than noun sense 1. Compare: A historian may describe Roman villagers as pagans or polytheists. A respectful modern writer would avoid calling a neighbor a heathen.

pagan ↗polytheistheathenidolaterneo-pagan

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Pagan came into English through French from Latin paganus. In Latin, the word first meant a country person or civilian. Later, as Christianity spread, it was used for people who were outside the Christian faith, and from there it developed the religious meanings English uses today for older polytheistic religions and for some modern nature-based belief systems.