Skip to main content
pagan religion

pagan religion

1 7.2
A set of beliefs and actions that worship many gods or nature
  • noun
  • /ˈpeɪɡən rɪˈlɪdʒən/
translation icon : religión pagana
  • The ancient Greeks practiced a pagan religion that included multiple gods and goddesses, each representing different aspects of life.

Examples

  • In 356, worship of images (a practice virtually universal in pagan religions) was technically a capital crime within the Empire, although the law was only sporadically enforced.

    Academic text (1992)
  • In pagan religion, the gods were believed to reward their faithful servants with good fortune during life.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The pagan religions of the world contain much that is rational and beautiful, but they all flow up from the earth.

    Blog text (29)
  • In my pagan religion, 'Help' is the most sacred word and represents a covenant between people who help each other.

    Blog text (3)
  • It's obvious that Justin and other early Christians knew how similar Christianity was to the Pagan religions.

  • Naturally, the old indigenous pagan religion did not disappear overnight, nor did it always yield without conflict.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Snorri tells how early Scandinavians, and therefore the Icelandic settlers, came to have a pagan religion of the sort they had.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The source of the West's exploitative attitude toward nature, White argued, could be found in the triumph of Christianity over pagan religions.

    Academic text (1999)
  • He was influenced by his lifelong interest in the pagan religions and myths so precisely inventoried and analyzed by James Frazer.

    Blog text (13)
  • In pagan religion, many followers celebrate the changing of the seasons with rituals that honor nature.

Synonyms

paganism
vspagan religion
7 7.9

Religious beliefs and practices that are not part of major world religions, often old or local traditions

emphasizes whole religious systems especially those worshiping many gods or nature
pagan tradition
vspagan religion
1 7.4

Beliefs and customs from older religions not part of the main world faiths, often with many gods

refers to complete organized religions rather than only customs or practices
polytheism
vspagan religion
1 7.4

Belief in or worship of many gods

is broader, covering religions defined by gods and also nature worship
gentilism
vspagan religion
  • Archaic
9.9

An old word for the religious beliefs of people who are not Jewish

is the current neutral term for such religions without archaic tone

Antonyms

130 2.1

A religion that follows Jesus Christ and believes he is the savior

6 5.5

Belief that there is only one God

How Organized

organized religion
  • US
15 3.9
pagan religion
1 7.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

pagan + religion

The meaning is directly derivable by combining 'pagan' (religious practices outside Judaism/Christianity/Islam) with 'religion' (a system of belief): the phrase simply refers to a non‑Abrahamic religion. This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase found across languages and not idiomatic, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand it.

Etymology

Pagan religion comes from an old word that meant 'country person'. People in the countryside kept older local gods and nature rituals, so city Christians began to call those beliefs pagan, and that's why pagan religion now means a religion outside Christianity, Judaism, or Islam.