What does paganism mean?

Definitions for paganism
pa·gan·ism

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word paganism.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. paganism, pagan religion, heathenismnoun

    any of various religions other than Christianity or Judaism or Islamism

Wiktionary

  1. paganismnoun

    Indigenous and polytheistic religions.

    Most people in that region practise their own form of paganism.

  2. paganismnoun

    A class of religions often associated with nature rituals.

    While paganism is a broad term, most forms pay close attention to the lunar and solar cycles.

  3. Etymology: From paganismus, from paganus. The term was used as an insult by the early Christians to belittle what remained of the native religions.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Paganismnoun

    Heathenism.

    Etymology: paganism, Fr. from pagan.

    The name of popery is more odious than very paganism amongst divers of the more simple sort. Richard Hooker, b. iv.

    Our labarum, in a state of paganism you have on a coin of Tiberius. It stands between two other ensigns. Addis.

Wikipedia

  1. Paganism

    Paganism (from classical Latin pāgānus "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. In the time of the Roman empire, individuals fell into the pagan class either because they were increasingly rural and provincial relative to the Christian population, or because they were not milites Christi (soldiers of Christ). Alternative terms used in Christian texts were hellene, gentile, and heathen. Ritual sacrifice was an integral part of ancient Graeco-Roman religion and was regarded as an indication of whether a person was pagan or Christian. Paganism has broadly connoted the "religion of the peasantry".During and after the Middle Ages, the term paganism was applied to any non-Christian religion, and the term presumed a belief in false god(s). The origin of the application of the term "pagan" to polytheism is debated. In the 19th century, paganism was adopted as a self-descriptor by members of various artistic groups inspired by the ancient world. In the 20th century, it came to be applied as a self-descriptor by practitioners of Modern Paganism, Neopagan movements and Polytheistic reconstructionists. Modern pagan traditions often incorporate beliefs or practices, such as nature worship, that are different from those of the largest world religions.Contemporary knowledge of old pagan religions and beliefs comes from several sources, including anthropological field research records, the evidence of archaeological artifacts, and the historical accounts of ancient writers regarding cultures known to Classical antiquity. Most modern pagan religions existing today (Modern or Neopaganism) express a world view that is pantheistic, panentheistic, polytheistic or animistic, but some are monotheistic.

ChatGPT

  1. paganism

    Paganism is a term that encompasses a variety of religious, spiritual, or cultural beliefs and practices outside of the mainstream monotheistic religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. These beliefs and practices are often associated with nature, the worship of multiple gods or goddesses, spiritualism, or indigenous and folk customs. Due to its broad use, Paganism can refer to disparate religions and belief systems including but not limited to Wicca, Druidry, Shamanism, animism, and polytheism.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Paganismnoun

    the state of being pagan; pagan characteristics; esp., the worship of idols or false gods, or the system of religious opinions and worship maintained by pagans; heathenism

  2. Etymology: [L. paganismus: cf. F. paganisme. See Pagan, and cf. Painim.]

Wikidata

  1. Paganism

    Paganism is a broad term typically pertaining to indigenous and historical polytheistic and non-theistic religious traditions—primarily those of cultures known to the classical world. In a wider sense, it has been used as a label for any non-Abrahamic folk/ethnic religion. It was historically used as one of several pejorative Christian counterparts to "gentile" as used in the Hebrew Bible—comparable to "infidel" or "heretic". Modern ethnologists often avoid this broad usage in favour of more specific and less potentially offensive terms such as "polytheism", "shamanism", "pantheism", or "animism" when referring to traditional or historical faiths. Since the 20th century, "Paganism" has become the identifier for a collection of new religious movements attempting to continue, revive, or reconstruct historical pre-Abrahamic religion.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Paganism

    heathenism (q. v.), so called as lingering among the "pagani" or country people, after Christianity had taken root in the large towns.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce paganism?

How to say paganism in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of paganism in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of paganism in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of paganism in a Sentence

  1. David Hare:

    Strength was the virtue of paganism; obedience is the virtue of Christianity.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

paganism#10000#39095#100000

Translations for paganism

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for paganism »

Translation

Find a translation for the paganism definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"paganism." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/paganism>.

Discuss these paganism definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for paganism? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    paganism

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    wear away
    A lucubrate
    B exacerbate
    C abrade
    D abet

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for paganism: