pagan 
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pa·gan (pā′gən)
noun
- a person who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew; heathen: formerly, sometimes applied specif. to a non-Christian by Christians
- a person who has no religion
- a person who worships nature or the earth, specif., one who practices a form of worship in imitation of any of various religions that historically preceded Christianity
Etymology: ME < LL(Ec) paganus, a heathen, pagan (contrasted with Christian or Jew) < L, a peasant, rustic < pagus, country < IE base *pak-, to join, enclose, fasten > fang, L pax
adjective
- of pagans or paganism; not Christian, Muslim, or Jewish
- not religious; heathen
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
pagan
n.
pagan and heathen are both applied to polytheistic peoples, but pagan often refers specifically to ancient peoples, esp. the Greeks and Romans, and heathen is applied to peoples regarded as uncivilized or primitive idolaters; gentile (often Gentile) is applied to one who is not a Jew, or, among Mormons, to one who is not a Mormon
Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Converse of object
- convert: His mission was to convert the pagan Irish people to Christianity.
Converse of subject
- martyr: He was martyred by pagans whose savage customs he had denounced.
Adjective modifier
- ancient: Never mind that the ancient pagans would not have known what you were on about - you are not talking to them.
Modifies a noun
- deity: Near to the door of the house would sometimes be a shrine to a pagan deity.
Noun used with modifier
- century: Within a century pagans would be persecuted because they would not conform to the state religion that ensured the safety of the empire.
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
'The name of those fabulous animals (pagan, I regret to say) who used to sing in the water, has quite escaped me.'Mr George Chuzzlewit suggested 'Swans'.'No,'said Mr Pecksniff.'Not swans.Very like swans, too. Thank you.' The nephewpropounded 'Oysters'.'No,'said Mr Picksniff'nor oysters.But by no means unlike oysters Wait! Sirens. Dear me! sirens, of course.'
The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending we lay waste our powers: Little we see in nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! The sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune; It moves us not.öGreat God! I'd rather be A pagan suckled in a creed outworn; So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn; Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea; Or hear old Triton blow his wreathe' d horn.
Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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MLA Style
"pagan." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009
- Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
- <www.yourdictionary.com/pagan>
APA Style
pagan. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary
- Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/pagan
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