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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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
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
This pagan tradition took place on October 31 when the Celts believed the veil between the physical world and the spirit realm was thinnest, with ceremonial fires and rituals taking place to mark the conclusion of one pastoral year, and the entry into the next.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 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
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
This pagan tradition took place on October 31 when the Celts believed the veil between the physical world and the spirit realm was thinnest, with ceremonial fires and rituals taking place to mark the conclusion of one pastoral year, and the entry into the next.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pagan
Noun
-
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
-
The basic original recipe for latkes—grated potatoes formed into small cakes and fried—was similar to ones popular at the time among gentiles in Eastern Europe during the Christmas season.—
Joan Nathan,
Saveur,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
A student’s religious viewpoint must be treated the same way as a student’s secular viewpoint, and district officials are barred from discriminating against a student based on their religious views.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The court found that the law had no secular purpose but served a plainly religious purpose.—
Hannah Schoenbaum,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Defending religious liberty means defending it for Jews, Christians, Muslims, atheists and everyone else equally.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Feb. 2026
-
And the invocation of Christian civilization leaves at best an uncomfortable marginality for atheists, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Muslims, and Jews.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 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
-
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
-
Groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State are representing the plaintiffs, a group of both religious and nonreligious families who want to stop the law.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The laws have been challenged by families representing a variety of religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and clergy, in addition to nonreligious families.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pagan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pagan. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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