Word of the Day ·
paganism
pa·gan·ism
/ˈpeɪɡənɪzm̩/
noun
What it means
- countableuncountableAny indigenous polytheistic religion.
Most people in that region practise their own form of paganism.
- countableuncountableAny of a class of religions often associated with nature rituals.
Various neopagan movements have arisen, each advancing its own form of paganism. Some are monotheist.
In a sentence
Most people in that region practise their own form of paganism.
Where it comes from
- Latinpāgānismus“heathenism”
- Englishpaganism
From Latin pāgānismus (“heathenism”), from pāgānus (“peasant, rural, rustic”). The term was used pejoratively by local Orthodox Christian Demonyms to belittle what remained of alternative native ideas and ideals. By surface analysis, pagan + -ism.
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