pagan 1 of 2

noun

ˈpā-gən How to pronounce pagan (audio)
Definition of pagannext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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pagan

2 of 2

adjective

as in secular

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pagan
Noun
Sometimes he was described as a modern-day Cyrus, a Persian king and a pagan in the Hebrew Bible whom God nevertheless anointed and would use for his purposes. — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026 Why would pagans want a coin with a Christian on it? — Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Defense attorneys planned to present a theory that the two girls were killed in a pagan ritual by Odinists. — Jenny Porter Tilley, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 2026 Seeing those ancient sculptures would have a lasting impact on Cabrera, whose work contained forms that recall pagan ritual and prehistoric objects. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pagan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pagan
  1. gentile
  2. secular
  3. atheist
  4. godless
  5. atheistic
  6. irreligious
  7. nonreligious
Noun
  • If the two Jewish brothers did both end up with the two gentile sisters, that would make its own, somewhat discouraging statement on the latter issue.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Since 1998, the program has both grown alongside and influenced the growth of interest in Yiddish language and culture from a wide swath of society, Jew and gentile, young and old, religious and secular alike.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of gentile
Adjective
  • Some younger attendees on Saturday said Leo's humane tone and emphasis on care for the vulnerable resonated beyond the faithful in their secular country as people grapple with a turbulent world.
    — ISABEL DEBRE, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The most vociferous opposition has come from Avigdor Lieberman, head of the right-wing secular Yisrael Beiteinu party.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of secular
Noun
  • After taking power, Castro (an atheist) closed Catholic churches.
    — George Diaz, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
  • According to the Pew Research Center, 29% of Americans have no religion, but only 5% call themselves atheists.
    — Ruiqian Li, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of atheist
Adjective
  • Up to that point, America’s external enemy—the godless Soviets—gave the movement coherence and urgency.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes this was committed to good, such as the Marshall Plan and the Peace Corps, and sometimes to ill, as in a series of military blunders meant to quash godless Communism.
    — Jim Rasenberger, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026
Definition of godless
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
  • But there has been a recent rise in secular congregations that explicitly mimic religious organizations and rituals to celebrate atheistic worldviews.
    — Jacqui Frost, The Conversation, 11 Jan. 2024
Definition of atheistic
Adjective
  • Because materialism had an irreligious connotation, Hattem says it was left out of the national conversation until the Gilded Age of the 1920s, when people start saying the quiet part out loud.
    — Cari Shane, USA Today, 25 June 2026
  • This story is told by an unnamed narrator, an irreligious woman who has joined the nuns as a lay resident after her faith in environmental advocacy crumbled.
    — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of irreligious
Adjective
  • But these food decisions are also bringing religious and nonreligious people together in interesting ways and creating new collaborations in their efforts to transform the food system.
    — Adrienne Krone, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Plain people are known for their ​caution toward government and other nonreligious authority.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of nonreligious

Browse Nearby Words

paeans
pagan
paganish
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Cite this Entry

“Pagan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pagan. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pagan

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pagan

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