Comprehensive
Dictionary Suite
Help
Help
Help
 
     
Lookup History
pagan

pa·gan

pagan

 
pronunciation:
peI gn
parts of speech:
noun, adjective
features:
Word Combinations (noun, adjective), Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: noun
definition 1: a person professing belief in a polytheistic religion.
definition 2: a person outside of accepted Western religious orthodoxies, such as a non-Christian, non-Jew, or non-Muslim; heathen.
definition 3: a professed hedonist.
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
 
part of speech: adjective
definition 1: having to do with pagans or a pagan religion.
definition 2: characteristic of nonreligious or heathen peoples.
definition 3: hedonistic.
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
derivations: paganist (adj.), paganistic (adj.), paganism (n.), paganist (n.)
Word History
Pagan comes from a Latin word that means "a villager." In later Latin it also meant "heathen." After Christianity became an established religion, those who continued to practice the old religions were usually from country villages.
Word Explorer
See
  religion