Pagan

//ˈpeɪɡən// adj, name, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Relating to, characteristic of religions that differ from main world religions. not-comparable

    "Under Christianization, many converted societies transformed their pagan deities into saints."

  2. 2
    Savage, immoral, uncivilized, wild. broadly, derogatory, not-comparable
Adjective
  1. 1
    not acknowledging the God of Christianity and Judaism and Islam wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A male given name from Latin.
  2. 2
    The city of Bagan, Myanmar. dated
  3. 3
    A female given name. uncommon

    "'I've always believed that one of the reasons she never named Pagan's father was to spare her a similar pain.' 'You don't know who he is?' 'No. And, at the risk of sounding like Candida, I'd give anything to find out.'"

  4. 4
    The 9th- to 13th-century Burmese kingdom which had its capital at this city. historical
  5. 5
    A surname.

    "Mrs Pagan was delivered of a posthumous child, and thereafter along with the infant (a girl), she brought a process of aliment against John Pagan, who was a hosier in Dumfries, and alleged to be wealthy,[…]"

Noun
  1. 1
    A person not adhering to a main world religion; a follower of a pantheistic or nature-worshipping religion.

    "This community has a surprising number of pagans."

  2. 2
    a person who does not acknowledge your god wordnet
  3. 3
    An uncivilized or unsocialized person. broadly, derogatory
  4. 4
    someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures wordnet
  5. 5
    An unruly, badly educated child. broadly, derogatory
Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    a person who follows a polytheistic or pre-Christian religion (not a Christian or Muslim or Jew) wordnet
  2. 7
    An outlaw biker who is a member of the Pagans MC.
  3. 8
    Alternative form of paigon Multicultural-London-English, alt-of, alternative

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English pagan (adjective and noun), from Latin pāgānus (“rural, rustic; civilian”), replaced Middle English payen from the same root. The meaning “not Christian” arose in Vulgar Latin, probably from the 4th century, owing to the Roman countryside being largely non-Christian, or potentially from the “civilian” meaning—denoting those not in the “army of Christ”. As a self-designation of neopagans, attested since 1990. Partly displaced native heathen, from Old English hǣþen.

Etymology 2

From Middle English pagan (adjective and noun), from Latin pāgānus (“rural, rustic; civilian”), replaced Middle English payen from the same root. The meaning “not Christian” arose in Vulgar Latin, probably from the 4th century, owing to the Roman countryside being largely non-Christian, or potentially from the “civilian” meaning—denoting those not in the “army of Christ”. As a self-designation of neopagans, attested since 1990. Partly displaced native heathen, from Old English hǣþen.

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Latin pāgānus (“rustic, rural”).

Etymology 4

Borrowing from Burmese ပုဂံ (pu.gam). Doublet of Bagan.

Next best steps

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: pagan