paganism means any indigenous polytheistic religion. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 77 out of 100.
paganism is pronounced /ˈpeɪɡənɪzm̩/.
Why “paganism” is a great word
PAGANISM — [Noun] A term for indigenous polytheistic religions or nature-oriented spiritual practices, historically used pejoratively by Christians for non-Christian beliefs. From Latin pāgānismus ("heathenism"), from pāgānus ("peasant, rural dweller"). First attested in English in the early 15th century. Unlike "heathenism," which often narrows to ancient Germanic or Norse traditions, or "polytheism," which denotes a theological belief in multiple gods, paganism is a broader, earthier tapestry of specific rites and localized spirits. It is the dew-soaked offering left at a mossy stone, the bonfire lit against the encroaching winter dark, and the whispered name for a deity known only in one forgotten valley—a word that began as an insult for a sacred world stubbornly rooted outside the city walls.
Etymology
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.
noun
- Any indigenous polytheistic religion.“Most people in that region practise their own form of paganism.”
- Any 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.”