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
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2025
Over time, my conquistadors retired, and my pagan temples got demolished to make way for grocery stores.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025
As de Kort tells Live Science, these treasures were buried in several deposits that might have constituted offerings to a pagan god—possibly Wodan, the Germanic persona of the Norse god Odin.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2025
That is an ancient pagan symbol coopted by Germany’s Nazi regime and worn prominently during World War II on the uniforms of the brutal Waffen SS units.
—Matthew Kriner, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025
The tradition of houses of worship providing sanctuary predates Christianity, and was practiced in pagan temples.
—Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025
Hebrew prophets, in turn, began transforming pagan cycles of birth, death, and renewal into a rectilinear history.
—Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Missionaries to Europe Popes began to send missionaries to convert other pagan peoples in Europe.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025
The seasonal rites, as old as pagan times, are so ancient and organic that no one thinks to question them.
—Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Atlanta Life, ajc, 10 Nov. 2017
While plague stalks the land, paranoid peasants swap cautionary folk tales about evil spirits, pagans, Jews and other outsiders.
—Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2017
Thomas Jefferson had strong views on religion, but his Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom disestablished the Church of Englandand established religious liberty for Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, even pagans.
—Jonah Goldberg, Alaska Dispatch News, 27 Sep. 2017
Lance Wallnau, a Christian author, claimed God spoke to him and showed him that Trump was like King Cyrus, who followed God’s will despite being a pagan.
—Colby Itkowitz, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2017
To do Trumpzilla justice, the film should be blustery, spectacular, gold-garish, and neo-pagan, a Circus Maximus Cecil B. DeMille might have whipped up with his riding crop after a fever dream.
—James Wolcott, HWD, 19 June 2017
Noun
This attempt to turn back the clock included the purging of Christian texts from schools, the conversion of Christian churches into pagan temples, and religious persecution as it had been practiced in centuries past.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2025
Over time, my conquistadors retired, and my pagan temples got demolished to make way for grocery stores.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025
As de Kort tells Live Science, these treasures were buried in several deposits that might have constituted offerings to a pagan god—possibly Wodan, the Germanic persona of the Norse god Odin.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2025
That is an ancient pagan symbol coopted by Germany’s Nazi regime and worn prominently during World War II on the uniforms of the brutal Waffen SS units.
—Matthew Kriner, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025
The tradition of houses of worship providing sanctuary predates Christianity, and was practiced in pagan temples.
—Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025
Hebrew prophets, in turn, began transforming pagan cycles of birth, death, and renewal into a rectilinear history.
—Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Missionaries to Europe Popes began to send missionaries to convert other pagan peoples in Europe.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025
The seasonal rites, as old as pagan times, are so ancient and organic that no one thinks to question them.
—Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
Church officials decided to recognize Dec. 25 as his birthday, probably to coincide with the date of pagan festivals in an attempt to get pagans to accept Christianity as the official religion.
—Atlanta Life, ajc, 10 Nov. 2017
While plague stalks the land, paranoid peasants swap cautionary folk tales about evil spirits, pagans, Jews and other outsiders.
—Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2017
Thomas Jefferson had strong views on religion, but his Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom disestablished the Church of Englandand established religious liberty for Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, even pagans.
—Jonah Goldberg, Alaska Dispatch News, 27 Sep. 2017
Lance Wallnau, a Christian author, claimed God spoke to him and showed him that Trump was like King Cyrus, who followed God’s will despite being a pagan.
—Colby Itkowitz, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2017
To do Trumpzilla justice, the film should be blustery, spectacular, gold-garish, and neo-pagan, a Circus Maximus Cecil B. DeMille might have whipped up with his riding crop after a fever dream.
—James Wolcott, HWD, 19 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pagan
Noun
-
However, Piven’s character Harold May is Jewish, and amid the rise of Hitler in Germany, his ability to pass as a gentile could be a matter of life and death.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
13 Jan. 2025
-
The script swiftly navigates what could be sensitive waters, finding good-natured humor in the inflection points of Jewish and gentile relations without ever being disparaging.—
Erin Strecker,
IndieWire,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But today’s escalating tensions go back to 1953, when British oil companies and the CIA orchestrated a coup and installed the Shah of Iran, a secular ruler willing to accommodate Big Oil and other corporate interests in the West.—
Robert Polner,
New York Daily News,
23 June 2025
-
While many are motivated by religious believes, other secular walkers do it as a ‘mindful’ journey, a physical achievement or as a practical way to explore European culture, historical sites and history itself.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
Adjective
-
Highlights of the book with the proudly, grammatically incorrect title include rants against nature, those godless Hollywood liberals, and how everything is trying to turn red-blooded Americans gay.—
Brian Boone,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
-
Shortly after hearing the stories of brave and faithful LGBTQ Catholics in Uganda, Pope Francis smartly and compassionately used his voice to warn against the unjust and godless laws.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Bible says that each of us is created in the image of God; however, whether one is a Jew or a Christian, a Muslim or a Buddhist — or, an atheist — how can each of us be a good person?—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
27 June 2025
-
Francis was remembered Monday for his calls for inclusivity and efforts to foster solidarity among Catholics, other other religious communities and even atheists.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Silverstein had a much different experience growing up, given the fact that his parents were both Baalei teshuva (irreligious Jews who become more observant later in life).—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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Finishing off the top 5 is religious flick The Forge with an irreligious weekend take-home of $6.6.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
25 Aug. 2024
Adjective
-
On a range of other views of government, political parties, and ideology in general, what’s happening with nonreligious young people is also happening among believers.—
Christian Paz,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
-
From a nonreligious perspective, the sense of reverent occasion is palpable, rippling out from Rome.—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pagan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pagan. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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