heathen

American  

[hee-thuhn] / ˈhi ðən /

noun

plural

heathens, heathen

1. (in historical contexts) a member of a people that do not acknowledge the God of the Bible; a pagan.

2. Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive.

   1. a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim.

   2. an irreligious, uncultured, or uncivilized person.

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adjective

1. (in historical contexts) of or relating to heathens; pagan.

2. Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive.

   1. relating to a religion, person, or culture that is not Christian, Jewish, or Muslim.

   2. irreligious, uncultured, or uncivilized.

heathen British  

/ ˈhiːðən /

noun

1. a person who does not acknowledge the God of Christianity, Judaism, or Islam; pagan

2. an uncivilized or barbaric person

3. (functioning as plural) heathens collectively

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adjective

1. irreligious; pagan

2. unenlightened; uncivilized; barbaric

3. of or relating to heathen peoples or their religious, moral, and other customs, practices, and beliefs

Related Words

See pagan.

Other Word Forms

• half-heathen
  adjective
• heathendom
  noun
• heathenhood
  noun
• heathenism
  noun
• heathenness
  noun
• heathenship
  noun
• nonheathen
  noun
• unheathen
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of heathen

First recorded before 900; Middle English hethen, Old English hǣthen, akin to German Heide, heidnisch (adjective), Old Norse heithingi (noun), heithinn (adjective), Gothic haithno (noun); perhaps akin to heath

Explanation

If you don't believe in God — or if you contradict other beliefs of a religion — you are a heathen. There are plenty of nonbelievers, but a heathen is something more — someone who is actively offensive to a religion. The term is tied to the Gods of Judaism, Christianity and Islam; someone who rejects the various gods of Hinduism, for example, is not likely to be called a heathen. Heathens are sometimes called infidels and pagans. These days, the term is often used humorously. An atheist might jokingly refer to herself as a heathen.

Example Sentences

The story of the "heathen," writes Stanford religious studies professor Kathryn Gin Lum, in her new book, "Heathen: Religion and Race in American History," is a familiar one.

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2022

Or one of the Great Heathen Army — Viking warriors from Scandinavia — that invaded England by the thousands and set up camp outside, conquering what was then the Kingdom of Mercia.

From Washington Post • Jul. 17, 2021

Epona Heathen, 33, used to have a different name and used to live in Oakland, Calif., working at a thrift store.

From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2020

The 2002 album Heathen saw a long-awaited return to form for the indefinable master of rock style, and the man who, throughout his long and varied career, influenced everyone from Iggy Pop to Boy George.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2016

From having a different creed of our own, and always encountering the Heathen Mythology in a poetical and fabulous shape, we are apt to have a false idea of the religious feeling of the ancients.

From Heathen Mythology by Various

Related Words

• ungodly