# paganism

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpeɪɡənɪzm̩/ · frequency rank #37,614

## Definitions
1. Any indigenous polytheistic religion.
2. Any of a class of religions often associated with nature rituals.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **pagans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paganism-vs-pagans)

## Common misspellings (12)
`apganism`, `paagnism`, `pagainsm`, `paganims`, `paganismm`, `paganissm`, `pagannism`, `pagansim`, `pagganism`, `pagnaism`, `pgaanism`, `ppaganism`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/paganism