noun / adjective
heathen
HEE-thun/ˈhiːðn/
Outside the faith regarded as true by the speaker, used disparagingly.
The preacher dismisses everyone outside his faith as a heathen.
Etymology
Old English hæðen already labeled people outside Christian or Jewish belief, making religious exclusion central to the word. Its possible origin as “dweller on the heath” remains uncertain.
In context
the heathen still dwell who turn their faces from the blessed Gospel.
More examples
- She objects when outsiders call her family's religious customs heathen.
- The sect's leader condemns followers of other religions as heathens.
- He rejects the claim that his neighbors worship heathen gods.
Forms
heathen · heathens
heathenism noun — Beliefs or practices disparaged as pagan.
Similar words
- pagan
- Usually refers to polytheistic traditions, not every religious outsider.
- infidel
- Labels someone outside a particular faith, often with hostility.
- unbeliever
- Emphasizes lack of belief and need not express contempt.