one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks.
2.
a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim.
3.
an irreligious or hedonistic person.
–adjective
4.
pertaining to the worship or worshipers of any religion that is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Muslim.
5.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of pagans.
6.
irreligious or hedonistic.
[Origin: 1325–75; ME < ML, LL pāgānus worshiper of false gods, orig. civilian (i.e., not a soldier of Christ), L: peasant, n. use of pāgānus rural, civilian, deriv. of pāgus village, rural district (akin to pangere to fix, make fast); see -an1]
One who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, especially an adherent of a polytheistic religion in antiquity.
A Neo-Pagan.
Offensive
One who has no religion.
A non-Christian.
A hedonist.
[Middle English, from Late Latin pāgānus, from Latin, country-dweller, civilian, from pāgus, country, rural district; see pag- in Indo-European roots.]
pa'gan adj., pa'gan·dom (-dəm) n., pa'gan·ish adj., pa'gan·ism n.
c.1375, from L.L. paganus "pagan," in classical L. "villager, rustic, civilian," from pagus "rural district," originally "district limited by markers," thus related to pangere "to fix, fasten," from PIE base *pag- "to fix" (see pact). Religious sense is often said to derive from conservative rural adherence to the old gods after the Christianization of Roman towns and cities; but the word in this sense predates that period in Church history, and it is more likely derived from the use of paganus in Roman military jargon for "civilian, incompetent soldier," which Christians (Tertullian, c.202; Augustine) picked up with the military imagery of the early Church (e.g. milites "soldier of Christ," etc.). Applied to modern pantheists and nature-worshippers from 1908. Paganism is attested from 1433.
Gen"tile\, n. [L. gentilis belonging to the same clan, stock, race, people, or nation; in opposition to Roman, a foreigner; in opposition to Jew or Christian, a heathen: cf. F. gentil. See Gentle, a.] One of a non-Jewish nation; one neither a Jew nor a Christian; a worshiper of false gods; a heathen. Note: The Hebrews included in the term g[=o]yim, or nations, all the tribes of men who had not received the true faith, and were not circumcised. The Christians translated g[=o]yim by the L. gentes, and imitated the Jews in giving the name gentiles to all nations who were neither Jews nor Christians. In civil affairs, the denomination was given to all nations who were not Romans. Syn: Pagan; heathen. See Pagan.
Hea"then\ (?; 277), n.; pl. Heathensor collectively Heathen. [OE. hethen, AS. h??en, prop. an adj. fr. h?? heath, and orig., therefore, one who lives in the country or on the heaths and in the woods (cf. pagan, fr. pagus village); akin to OS. h??in, adj., D. heiden a heathen, G. heide, OHG. heidan, Icel. hei?inn, adj., Sw. heden, Goth. haipn?, n. fem. See Heath, and cf. Hoiden.]1. An individual of the pagan or unbelieving nations, or those which worship idols and do not acknowledge the true God; a pagan; an idolater. 2. An irreligious person. If it is no more than a moral discourse, he may preach it and they may hear it, and yet both continue unconverted heathens. --V. Knox. The heathen, as the term is used in the Scriptures, all people except the Jews; now used of all people except Christians, Jews, and Mohammedans. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. --Ps. ii. 8. Syn: Pagan; gentile. See Pagan.
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