as in heathenism
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Recent Examples of paganism
The songs molded a claustrophobic, atmospheric universe out of blast beats, buzz-saw guitars and strangled shrieking, with misanthropic lyrics that explored bleakness, despair, paganism and coldness (both metaphorical and literal).
—
Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2025
Despite its allegorical significance about paganism, the snake myth has persisted unquestioned.
—Gemma Allen, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
In addition to communicating language, some runes also had a mythological connection, being linked with deities in Germanic paganism.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2025
All across Central Europe, a fascination with runes and folk magic aligns with both right-wing xenophobia and left-wing paganism.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paganism
Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2025
Despite its allegorical significance about paganism, the snake myth has persisted unquestioned.
—Gemma Allen, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
In addition to communicating language, some runes also had a mythological connection, being linked with deities in Germanic paganism.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2025
All across Central Europe, a fascination with runes and folk magic aligns with both right-wing xenophobia and left-wing paganism.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paganism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paganism
Noun
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Nefertiti was the principal wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, the ruler who upended Egypt's religious customs away from polytheism and toward Atenism.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The Pope's polytheism places him among the people of Hell.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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George Gross, an expert on theology and the monarchy at King’s College London, highlighted the church’s continuing divergence from the Catholic Church, which forbids women from being ordained as priests, much less as serving as the religion’s global spiritual leader.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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If there’s a genuine, committed, energetic movement to evolve these theologies, there are huge opportunities.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With the rise of monotheism, their existence had to be brought under the power and perfection of a single god.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
27 Oct. 2025
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For instance, according to Alawite beliefs, Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, is a divine manifestation of God, which challenges the idea of strict monotheism central to Sunni Islam.—
Güneş Murat Tezcür,
The Conversation,
23 July 2025
Noun
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In 1809, Friedrich’s budding pantheism landed him in hot water.—
Zachary Fine,
The New Yorker,
28 June 2024
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If anyone is wondering, stoicism and pantheism are my preferred lenses through to view the world.—
Christa Allen,
Allure,
28 May 2021
Noun
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The Chinese Communists aren’t trying to extirpate every last trace of theism, thereby inviting the undivided opposition of religious believers and institutions (as the Soviets did with regard to John Paul II’s Vatican).—
Cameron Hilditch,
National Review,
21 Feb. 2021
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Thoreau moves fluidly between the two, shuttling between the divine and the here-and-now, between theism and materialism.—
Longreads,
Longreads,
13 July 2017
Noun
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Legal challenges to constitutional doctrines underpinning the modern American administrative state wend their way through increasingly sympathetic courts, promising sweeping changes to the ways our most important institutions act.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
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Raenah Birdlong, 33, who did not fire any shots, was charged under the provocative act doctrine, meaning her actions led to the death and wounding of the two men, authorities said.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This vague gesture in the direction of deism has no antecedent in the book, no moral or theological trajectory to make Bambi’s insight meaningful or satisfying.—
Kathryn Schulz,
The New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2022
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Those intuitions usually commended a staid deism and scorn for those whose beliefs extended any further.—
Jeffrey Collins,
WSJ,
12 Mar. 2021
Noun
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Amorim shifted from his back-three dogma against Bournemouth and Newcastle United, but reverted to his 3-4-2-1 system for the draw with Wolves, which drew criticism from Gary Neville.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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That’s a strong dogma that can override the screams of a baby.—
Christian Wiman,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paganism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paganism. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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