pagan

The definition of a pagan is a person who worships many gods or who worships nature and the Earth.

(noun)

An example of a pagan is someone who celebrates the winter solstice as a religious holiday.

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See pagan in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

  1. a person who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew; heathen: formerly, sometimes applied specif. to a non-Christian by Christians
  2. a person who has no religion
  3. 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

Origin: 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

  1. of pagans or paganism; not Christian, Muslim, or Jewish
  2. not religious; heathen

Related Forms:

See pagan in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. An adherent of a polytheistic religion in antiquity, especially when viewed in contrast to an adherent of a monotheistic religion.
  2. A Neopagan.
  3. Offensive
    a. One who has no religion.
    b. An adherent of a religion other than Judaism, Christianity, or Islam.
  4. A hedonist.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Late Latin pāgānus

Origin: , from Latin, country-dweller, civilian

Origin: , from pāgus, country, rural district; see pag- in Indo-European roots

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Related Forms:

  • paˈgan adjective
  • paˈgan·dom (-dəm) noun
  • paˈgan·ish adjective
  • paˈgan·ism noun

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