What does "pagan" mean?
A person not adhering to a main world religion; a follower of a pantheistic or nature-worshipping religion.
Pagan
/ˈpeɪɡən/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person not adhering to a main world religion; a follower of a pantheistic or nature-worshipping religion.
- Grammar: pagan is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: heathen, allotheist, allotheistic, animist.
- Useful contrasts: satanic, Christian, brigid.
- Usage evidence: Her mother was a Christian and her father a pagan, but this wasn't a problem for them at all.
How to use "pagan"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pagan" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pagan" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pagan" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pagan" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "heathen" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pagan", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 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 a person who does not acknowledge your god wordnet
- 3 An uncivilized or unsocialized person. broadly, derogatory
- 4 someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures wordnet
- 5 An unruly, badly educated child. broadly, derogatory
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 a person who follows a polytheistic or pre-Christian religion (not a Christian or Muslim or Jew) wordnet
- 7 An outlaw biker who is a member of the Pagans MC.
- 8 Alternative form of paigon Multicultural-London-English, alt-of, alternative
Adjective
- 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 Savage, immoral, uncivilized, wild. broadly, derogatory, not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 not acknowledging the God of Christianity and Judaism and Islam wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A male given name from Latin.
- 2 The city of Bagan, Myanmar. dated
- 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 The 9th- to 13th-century Burmese kingdom which had its capital at this city. historical
- 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,[…]"
Example
"Her mother was a Christian and her father a pagan, but this wasn't a problem for them at all."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pagan"?
Common synonyms include: heathen, allotheist, allotheistic, animist, animistic, atheist.
How do you use "pagan" in a sentence?
Her mother was a Christian and her father a pagan, but this wasn't a problem for them at all.
How do you pronounce "pagan"?
Pronounced /ˈpeɪɡən/.
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
Borrowed from Latin pāgānus (“rustic, rural”).
Etymology 3
Borrowing from Burmese ပုဂံ (pu.gam). Doublet of Bagan.