pagan

See also: Pagan, pag- -an, Pagán, págán, and păgân

English

Etymology

From Middle English pagan (adjective and noun), from Latin pāgānus (“rural, rustic; civilian”), replaced Middle English payen from the same root.

The meaning “not Christian” arose in Vulgar Latin, probably from the 4th century, owing to the Roman countryside being largely non-Christian, or potentially from the “civilian” meaning—denoting those not in the “army of Christ”. As a self-designation of neopagans, attested since 1990.

Partly displaced native heathen, from Old English hǣþen.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pā'gən, IPA^(key): /ˈpeɪɡən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪɡən

Adjective

pagan (not comparable)

1. Relating to, characteristic of religions that differ from main world religions.

   Synonyms: heathen, heathenish, heathenly, heathenous

   Antonyms: Christian, Muslim

   Under Christianization, many converted societies transformed their pagan deities into saints.

   • 2019 April 12, Paul P. Murphy, Samira Said, “Louisiana arson suspect expressed disgust with Baptist churches on Facebook”, in CNN‎^[1], archived from the original on 2 November 2021:

     Black metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that typically takes on anti-Christian, satanic and pagan themes.

   • 2024 October 26, Scottie Andrew, “Witches walk among us — but they’re not like the fictional ones you grew up with”, in CNN‎^[2], archived from the original on 6 July 2025:

     The way Green practices witchcraft defies stereotypes of broomstick-wielding, cauldron-toting, pointy-hatted witches. He doesn’t belong to a coven. He’s not Wiccan or pagan, religions that are rooted in witchcraft. He has a few cats, though they’re better suited for snuggling than serving as helpful familiars.

2. (by extension, derogatory) Savage, immoral, uncivilized, wild.

   Synonyms: barbarian, barbaric (pejorative), heathen, wolfish; see also Thesaurus:savage

Usage notes

• When referring to modern paganism, the term is now often capitalized, like other terms referring to religions.

Hyponyms

• pantheistic
• neo-pagan

Derived terms

• anti-pagan
• Christopagan
• curse like a pagan
• neopagan
• nonpagan
• pagandom
• paganess
• paganic
• paganing
• paganise
• paganish
• paganism
• paganist
• paganistic
• paganity
• paganization
• paganize
• paganly
• paganness
• paganophile
• paganry
• playgan
• postpagan
• semipagan
• swear like a pagan
• technopagan
• unpagan

Translations

relating to non-main world religions

• Albanian: besëlashtë (sq) f
• Arabic: وَثَنِيّ (waṯaniyy)
• Armenian: հեթանոսական (hy) (hetʻanosakan)
• Bashkir: мәжүси (məjüsi)
• Belarusian: язы́чніцкі (jazýčnicki)
• Bulgarian: ези́чески (ezíčeski)
• Catalan: pagà (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 異教的 / 异教的 (zh) (yìjiào de)

• Czech: pohanský (cs)
• Danish: hedensk
• Dutch: heidens (nl)
• Finnish: pakanallinen (fi), pakana- (fi)
• French: païen (fr)
• Friulian: paian m
• Galician: pagán (gl) m
• Georgian: წარმართული (c̣armartuli)
• German: heidnisch (de)
• Greek: ειδωλολατρικός (el) (eidololatrikós)
• Hebrew: פָּגָנִי (paganí), אֱלִילִי ('elilí)
• Hungarian: pogány (hu)
• Irish: págánta, págánach
• Italian: pagano (it) m
• Kyrgyz: бутпарастык (ky) sg (butparastık), бутчулук sg (butculuk), бутпарасчылык (butparascılık)
• Middle English: payen
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: hedensk

• Old East Slavic: ꙗзꙑческъ (jazyčeskŭ)
• Old English: hǣþen
• Persian: بت پرست (fa) (bât pârest)
• Polish: pogański (pl)
• Portuguese: pagão (pt) m
• Romanian: păgân (ro)
• Russian: язы́ческий (ru) (jazýčeskij)
• Scottish Gaelic: pàganach
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: по̀гански, па̀га̄нски

  Latin: pòganski (sh), pàgānski (sh)

• Slovak: pohanský (sk)
• Slovene: poganski (sl)
• Spanish: pagano (es)
• Swahili: kafiri (sw)
• Swedish: hednisk (sv)
• Tagalog: pagano, di-binyagan
• Turkish: pagan (tr), (loanword), kâfir (tr) (derogatory)

  Ottoman Turkish: زندیق (zındık)

• Ukrainian: язи́чницький (uk) (jazýčnycʹkyj)
• Vietnamese: ngoại đạo (vi)
• Welsh: paganaidd (cy)

immoral, uncivilized, savage

• Arabic: وَثَنِيّ (waṯaniyy), جَاهِل (jāhil), وَحْشِيّ (waḥšiyy)
• Bulgarian: дива́шки (bg) (diváški)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 野蛮的

• Dutch: immoreel (nl), onbeschaafd (nl)
• Finnish: pakanallinen (fi), pakana- (fi)
• French: immoral (fr), incivilisé (fr)
• Hungarian: istentelen (hu)
• Romanian: păgân (ro)
• Swahili: kafiri (sw)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} hednisk (sv)

Noun

pagan (plural pagans)

1. A person not adhering to a main world religion; a follower of a pantheistic or nature-worshipping religion.

   This community has a surprising number of pagans.

2. (by extension, derogatory) An uncivilized or unsocialized person.
3. (by extension, derogatory) An unruly, badly educated child.
4. An outlaw biker who is a member of the Pagans MC.
5. (MLE) Alternative form of paigon

Synonyms

• (heathen): paynim
• (uncivilised): philistine, savage
• (child): brat

Derived terms

• neo-pagan

Related terms

• peasant
• paynim

Translations

person not adhering to a main world religion

• Albanian: besëlashtë (sq) m
• Arabic: وَثَنِيّ m (waṯaniyy), وَثَنِيَّة f (waṯaniyya), مُشْرِك m (mušrik)
• Armenian: հեթանոս (hy) (hetʻanos)
• Asturian: paganu m
• Azerbaijani: bütpərəst
• Bashkir: мәжүси (məjüsi)
• Belarusian: язы́чнік m (jazýčnik), язы́чніца f (jazýčnica)
• Bulgarian: ези́чник (bg) m (ezíčnik), ези́чничка f (ezíčnička), ези́чница f (ezíčnica)
• Catalan: pagà (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 異教徒 / 异教徒 (zh) (yìjiàotú)

• Czech: pohan (cs) m, pohanka (cs) f
• Danish: hedning c
• Dutch: heiden (nl) m, heidin (nl) f
• Estonian: pagan (et)
• Finnish: pakana (fi)
• French: païen (fr) m, païenne (fr) f
• Friulian: paian m
• Georgian: წარმართი (c̣armarti)
• German: Heide (de) m, Heidin (de) f, Ungläubiger (de) m, Ungläubige (de) f
• Greek: ειδωλολάτρης (el) m (eidololátris), ειδωλολάτρισσα (el) f (eidololátrissa)
• Hebrew: עוֹבֵד אֱלִילִים (he) m ('ovéd 'elilím)
• Hindi: बुतपरस्त (hi) m (butparast)
• Hungarian: pogány (hu)
• Icelandic: heiðingi (is) m
• Irish: págánach m, págán m
• Italian: pagano (it) m, pagana (it) f
• Japanese: 異教徒 (ja) (いきょうと, ikyōto)
• Kazakh: пұтқа табынушы (pūtqa tabynuşy), пұтпарас (pūtparas)
• Korean: 이교도(異敎徒) (igyodo)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: pûtperest (ku), pûtparez (ku)

• Kyrgyz: бутпарас (ky) (butparas), бутка табынуучу (butka tabınuucu)
• Latvian: pagāns m
• Lithuanian: pagonis m
• Macedonian: паганин m (paganin), паганка f (paganka)
• Middle English: payen
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: hedning m

  Nynorsk: heidning m

• Occitan: pagan (oc) m
• Old East Slavic: ꙗзꙑчьникъ m (jazyčĭnikŭ)
• Old English: hǣþen
• Pashto: بت پرست (ps) m (bot parast)
• Persian:

  Dari: بُت‌پَرَسْت (but-parast)

  Iranian Persian: بُت‌پَرَسْت (bot-parast)

• Polish: poganin (pl) m, poganka (pl) f
• Portuguese: pagão (pt) m, pagã (pt) f
• Romanian: păgân (ro) m, păgână (ro) f
• Russian: язы́чник (ru) m (jazýčnik), язы́чница (ru) f (jazýčnica)
• Scottish Gaelic: pàganach m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: по̀ганин m, по̀га̄нка f, па̀га̄н m

  Latin: poganin (sh) m, pògānka (sh) f, pàgān (sh) m

• Sicilian: paganu (scn) m
• Slovak: pohan m, pohanka (sk) f
• Slovene: pogan (sl) m, poganka f
• Spanish: pagano (es) m, pagana (es) f
• Swahili: kafiri (sw) (chiefly used by Muslims), mpagani (sw) (chiefly used by Christians)
• Swedish: hedning (sv) c
• Tajik: бутпараст (tg) (butparast)
• Tatar: мәҗүси (mäcüsi)
• Turkish: putperest (tr)

  Ottoman Turkish: زندیق (zındık)

• Turkmen: butparaz (tk)
• Ukrainian: язи́чник (uk) m (jazýčnyk), язи́чниця (uk) f (jazýčnycja)
• Urdu: بُت پَرَسْت m (but parast)
• Uyghur: بۇتپەرەس (butperes)
• Uzbek: butparast (uz), majusiy (uz)
• Welsh: pagan m, paganes f

uncivilized or unsocialized person

• Bulgarian: дива́к (bg) m (divák), дива́чка f (diváčka)
• Dutch: heiden (nl) m, barbaar (nl) m, wilde(man) m
• Finnish: pakana (fi) (dated), sivistymätön ihminen
• Hungarian: istentelen (hu)
• Russian: дика́рь (ru) m (dikárʹ), дика́рка (ru) f (dikárka)
• Swahili: kafiri (sw)

unruly, badly educated child

• Finnish: kakara (fi), kauhukakara (fi)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} païen (fr) m, ^{(please verify)} païenne (fr) f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: (archaic,probably obsolete) по̏га̄н f

  Latin: (archaic,probably obsolete) pȍgān (sh) f

• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} hedning (sv) c

See also

• heretic
• infidel

References

• “pagan”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• panga

Asturian

Verb

pagan

1. third-person plural present subjunctive of pagar

Cebuano

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: pa‧gan

Verb

pagan

1. to embroil; to draw into a situation; to cause to be involved
2. to implicate; to connect or involve in an unfavorable or criminal way with something
3. to fall victim to a friendly fire
4. (military) to fall victim as collateral damage
5. to be hit by a stray bullet
6. to get caught in a crossfire
   • 2018 — Logroño, Guam P. & Arnold Y. Bustamante, Pulis, Laing 3 Tipi sa Ambush (12 October), SuperBalita

     Usa ka mamasurahay napagan usab sa pinusilay ug namatay.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

7. (games, of marbles) to hit the adjacent marble with the target marble

Estonian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *pakana, ultimately from Latin paganus, through either Old East Slavic поганъ (poganŭ) or directly from Latin, through the German crusaders. Cognate to Finnish pakana.

Noun

pagan (genitive pagana, partitive paganat)

1. pagan, heathen
2. a devil, an evil spirit

Declension

Declension of pagan (ÕS type 2/õpik, no gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		pagan	paganad
accusative	nom.
	gen.	pagana
genitive			paganate
partitive		paganat	paganaid
illative		paganasse	paganatesse paganaisse
inessive		paganas	paganates paganais
elative		paganast	paganatest paganaist
allative		paganale	paganatele paganaile
adessive		paganal	paganatel paganail
ablative		paganalt	paganatelt paganailt
translative		paganaks	paganateks paganaiks
terminative		paganani	paganateni
essive		paganana	paganatena
abessive		paganata	paganateta
comitative		paganaga	paganatega

Derived terms

• vanapagan

Interjection

pagan

1. damn, darn, heck

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpaɣɐŋ/

Verb

pagan

1. third-person plural present indicative of pagar

Livvi

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *pakana, from Old Church Slavonic поганъ (poganŭ). Related to Finnish pakana (“pagan”) and Ingrian pakana.

Noun

pagan (genitive paganan, partitive [please provide])

1. pagan, heathen
2. sage, seer

Adjective

pagan (genitive paganan, partitive [please provide])

1. dirty, unclean

References

• Pertti Virtaranta; Raija Koponen (2009), “pakana”, in Marja Torikka, editor, Karjalan kielen sanakirja‎^[3], Helsinki: Kotus, →ISSN

Old High German

Verb

pāgan

1. (Bavarian) alternative form of bāgan

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpaɡan/ [ˈpa.ɣ̞ãn]
• Rhymes: -aɡan
• Syllabification: pa‧gan

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

pagan

1. third-person plural present indicative of pagar

Volapük

Etymology

From pag (“paganism”) +‎ -an.

Noun

pagan (genitive pagana, plural pagans)

1. (Nulik) pagan, gentile

Declension

Declension of pagan

	Singular	Plural
Nominative	pagan	pagans
Genitive	pagana	paganas
Dative	pagane	paganes
Accusative	pagani	paganis
Predicative1	paganu	paganus
Vocative	o pagan	o pagans

1. Introduced in Volapük Nulik.

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle Welsh pagan, a learned borrowing from Latin pāgānus.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈpaɡan/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈpaːɡan/
• Rhymes: -aːɡan

Noun

pagan m

1. pagan

Derived terms

• paganiaeth (“paganism”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of pagan

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
pagan	bagan	mhagan	phagan

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke, et al., editors (1950–present), “pagan”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies