heathen

[ hee-thuhn ]

noun

, plural hea·thens, hea·then.

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.

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

/ ˈhiːðən /

noun

1. a person who does not acknowledge the God of Christianity, Judaism, or Islam; pagan
2. an uncivilized or barbaric person
3. the heathen
   the heathen functioning as plural heathens collectively

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

Derived Forms

• ˈheathenism, noun
• ˈheathenness, noun

Other Words From

• hea·then·dom noun
• hea·then·hood noun
• hea·then·ness noun
• hea·then·ship noun
• half-hea·then adjective noun
• non·hea·then noun plural nonheathens nonheathen adjective
• un·hea·then adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of heathen¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of heathen¹

Old English hǣthen; related to Old Norse heithinn, Old Frisian hēthin, Old High German heidan

Synonym Study

See pagan.

Example Sentences

Chaillan wrote that he was very proud of his team creating the DoD Enterprise DevSecOps Initiative, which began spreading the holy word of DevSecOps to the backwards cyber-heathens dwelling in the Pentagon.

From Popular-Science

For centuries, Christian missionaries in Samiland, an area that stretches over parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, put “heathen” Sami children in boarding schools, with many later saying they had experienced trauma in the institutions.

From Ozy

They also argued that the Bible authorized slavery, and that the slaves were actually being rescued from heathen Africa.

From The Daily Beast

The culprits are not Hasidic Jews running amok around the world or Tea-baggers bent on replanting Christianity among the heathen.

From The Daily Beast

The names of the gods of the heathen were not even to be mentioned; and hence were not to be used in making an oath.

From Project Gutenberg

Besides, was not his design to curse Israel either by the true God, or by some gods of the heathen?

From Project Gutenberg

Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name.

From Project Gutenberg

No wonder that Im a heathen, then; any body would be with such a father, retorted Sue.

From Project Gutenberg

As separated from the heathen, and called to the service of God, Israel appeared a holy people.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ungodly