as in gentile
a person who does not worship the God of the Bible
the temple was built by pagans in the 4th century as a place to worship their idols
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as in secular
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Recent Examples of pagan
Kate Perez, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Valentine's Day pagan connections One of the most common explanations is that Valentine's Day has its origins in the ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia.
—Marina Johnson, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
Valentine's Day pagan connections One of the most common explanations is that Valentine's Day has its origins in the ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
The characters here, though, are nowhere near so smart as those conniving pagans and can only dream of outwitting the sophisticated folk from the mainland, coming there with their talk of cake, and comfy chairs, and their lies.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
According to the Pew Research Center, historically between one-third and one-half of Americans observe this pagan rite every year by making their own New Year’s resolutions.
—Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
The crowds, many dressed as druids and pagans, had gathered before dawn, waiting patiently in the dark and cold field in southwest England.
—CBS News, 21 Dec. 2025
Other cultures had similar variations of a dark helper, like the Alpine pagans’ Perchten and the Palatinate region’s Belsnickel.
—Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Samhain is also celebrated in Salem by the local pagan and witch communities, who often share their traditions with curious out-of-towners.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Wild rhythms evoke the rupture of that earth, making way for the pagan rituals that herald the arrival of spring.
—Luis Palomares, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
The group – which touts itself as a pagan collective that worships Norse gods – also took credit for originally catapulting Springfield onto the national stage by amplifying ugly memes about the Haitians.
—Caitlin Hu, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
At the bottom of the composition is the figure of Charon, a personage from Greek mythology who rowed souls over the river Styx to enter the pagan underworld.
—Virginia Raguin, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026
Groundhog Day is its pagan echo — a reading of light and shadow, an old way of guessing at spring.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
The History of Hanukkah More than 2,000 years ago, Antiochus, a cruel ruler of the Greek Kingdom, imposed pagan beliefs on the Jewish people.
—Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 14 Dec. 2025
Summons the pagan sprit of Excel art.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Warily establishing themselves in a new settlement, where the husband gets work carving an idol for a pagan temple, they are initially welcomed.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025
Noun
Valentine's Day pagan connections Lupercalia was a debaucherous festival that celebrated the coming of spring that included animal sacrifices and drunken revelry to honor Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Valentine's Day pagan connections One of the most common explanations is that Valentine's Day has its origins in the ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia.
—Marina Johnson, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
Valentine's Day pagan connections One of the most common explanations is that Valentine's Day has its origins in the ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
The characters here, though, are nowhere near so smart as those conniving pagans and can only dream of outwitting the sophisticated folk from the mainland, coming there with their talk of cake, and comfy chairs, and their lies.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
According to the Pew Research Center, historically between one-third and one-half of Americans observe this pagan rite every year by making their own New Year’s resolutions.
—Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
The crowds, many dressed as druids and pagans, had gathered before dawn, waiting patiently in the dark and cold field in southwest England.
—CBS News, 21 Dec. 2025
Other cultures had similar variations of a dark helper, like the Alpine pagans’ Perchten and the Palatinate region’s Belsnickel.
—Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Samhain is also celebrated in Salem by the local pagan and witch communities, who often share their traditions with curious out-of-towners.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The name of the basilica next to the cloister, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, is indicative of its past, a Catholic basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary over what was once a pagan temple to the Roman god of wisdom, Minerva.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Wild rhythms evoke the rupture of that earth, making way for the pagan rituals that herald the arrival of spring.
—Luis Palomares, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
The group – which touts itself as a pagan collective that worships Norse gods – also took credit for originally catapulting Springfield onto the national stage by amplifying ugly memes about the Haitians.
—Caitlin Hu, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
At the bottom of the composition is the figure of Charon, a personage from Greek mythology who rowed souls over the river Styx to enter the pagan underworld.
—Virginia Raguin, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026
Groundhog Day is its pagan echo — a reading of light and shadow, an old way of guessing at spring.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
The History of Hanukkah More than 2,000 years ago, Antiochus, a cruel ruler of the Greek Kingdom, imposed pagan beliefs on the Jewish people.
—Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 14 Dec. 2025
Summons the pagan sprit of Excel art.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Warily establishing themselves in a new settlement, where the husband gets work carving an idol for a pagan temple, they are initially welcomed.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pagan
Noun
-
Several new billboards on Interstate 84 in Hartford and West Hartford are sending a not-so-gentile reminder that rat poison kills more than just rats.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Posters on the platform often used the term in anti-Semitic ways, such as in the terms goyslop (unhealthy foods that these conspiracy theorists believed were a Jewish plot to hinder gentiles) and goycattle (the unthinking masses who are constantly being manipulated by Jewish people).—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Harder still, how could a domestic consensus be forged to even begin talks in a multi-faith Nigeria, governed by a secular constitution, where the jihadists are legally designated as terrorists?—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Although Islamic law prohibits the consumption of alcohol, Damascus is full of secular Muslims.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The military will now use 31 religious affiliations, down from more than 200, which included many small Protestant denominations as well as identifications for Wiccans, atheists and agnostics.—
Tiffany Stanley,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Some are religious, some atheist.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His stories, particularly the later ones, center around the idea that the Universe is a godless cosmos that is entirely indifferent to humanity.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Predictably, the hubbub surrounding the photo was eventually framed as a war between uptight virgins and godless heathens, with a quieter contingent astounded only by the fact that this kind of marketing could still be so effective.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His father's death during World War II influenced his pursuit of the ministry even amid the officially atheistic communist regime of the Soviet Union, according to his obituary on the OCU website.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And even the irreligious Bill de Blasio would join parishioners at the cathedral.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Stewart’s switch from his usual snark to imitate Colbert’s buffoonery proved how spiteful and irreligious political humor has become since the left’s worship of Barack Obama and subsequent persecution of President Trump.—
Armond White,
National Review,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
About 7 in 10 nonreligious voters supported Harris.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
After her death, Begel found comfort in the Catholic faith after years of being nonreligious.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pagan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pagan. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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