1. A person or people who honor or pay homage to multiple gods instead of a monotheistic or one God: The pagans worshiped the gods of fire and rain among other things.

Some historians say that the idols of pagans were destroyed by Christian missionaries.

Some religious people are convinced that unreligious and atheistic people are pagans.

2. Etymology: from Latin paganus, "rustic, peasant" and is derived from Latin pagus, "the country, rural district".

From the second century on, Latin paganus had the additional meaning of "civilian, non-soldier". Early Christians were said to be fond of military metaphors, regarding themselves as "soldiers of Christ"; so, they applied the "non-soldier" word, or "heathen", to those who had not enlisted in the Church as "soldiers".