pagan
Top
(pā'gən) 
n.
pagandom pa'gan·dom (-dəm) n.
paganish pa'gan·ish adj.
paganism pa'gan·ism n.
n.
- An adherent of a polytheistic religion in antiquity, especially when viewed in contrast to an adherent of a monotheistic religion.
- A Neopagan.
- Offensive.
- One who has no religion.
- An adherent of a religion other than Judaism, Christianity, or Islam.
- A hedonist.
[Middle English, from Late Latin pāgānus, from Latin, country-dweller, civilian, from pāgus, country, rural district.]
pagan pa'gan adj.pagandom pa'gan·dom (-dəm) n.
paganish pa'gan·ish adj.
paganism pa'gan·ism n.
Related Videos:
Top
pagan
Top
Traditional designation of a practitioner of classical polytheisms. The early Christians often used the term to refer to non-Christians who worshiped multiple deities. Christian missionaries frequently sought to stamp out pagan practices by building churches on the sites of pagan shrines or by associating Christian holidays with pagan rituals (e.g., linking Christmas with the celebration of the winter solstice). The term pagan was also used to refer to non-Christian philosophers, and in the 20th century it was used to identify members of certain new religious movements. Neo-paganism.
For more information on pagan, visit Britannica.com.
Top
[De]
In Roman times a pagus was the smallest unit of land in a country district; pagans were those who followed the beliefs and religions of the countryside rather than the officially recognized cults. When Christianity was adopted as the official religion in the Roman empire, pagans were those who continued local traditions and were thus represented as heathens.
Word Tutor:
Top
pagan
IN BRIEF: A person who believes in many gods or no god at all.
Halloween has its roots in a pagan ritual of the Celts in the 5th century B.C.
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
Random House Word Menu:
Top
categories related to 'paganism'
- Practice and Doctrine - paganism: belief in god other than Christian, Jewish, or Muslim God
See crossword solutions for the clue Translations:
Top
Pagan
Dansk (Danish)
n. - hedning
adj. - hedensk
Nederlands (Dutch)
heiden, heidens
Français (French)
n. - païen
adj. - païen
Deutsch (German)
n. - Heide
adj. - heidnisch
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ειδωλολάτρης, πολυθεϊστής, εθνικός
adj. - ειδωλολατρικός
Português (Portuguese)
n., -
adj. - pagão
Русский (Russian)
язычник, языческий
Español (Spanish)
n. - pagano, infiel, persona de creencias paganas
adj. - pagano
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - hedning
adj. - hednisk
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
异教徒, 无宗教信仰者, 异教的, 不信教的, 非基督教的
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 異教徒, 無宗教信仰者
adj. - 異教的, 不信教的, 非基督教的
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 이교도, 무종교자, 미개인
adj. - 무종교의, 이교도의
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 異教徒, 不信心者
adj. - 異教の, 不信心の
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) ملحد, وثني (صفه) وثني
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - עובד כוחות-הטבע, עובד אלילים, פרא
adj. - עובד אלילים, פרא
If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology. Copyright © 2002, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
Read more
Word Tutor
Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free. Read more
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free. Read more
Random House Word Menu
© 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier.
Write Brothers Inc.
All rights reserved.
Read more
Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary
Collins Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary © Anne Bradford, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008
HarperCollins Publishers
All rights reserved.
Read more
