paganism

Etymology

From Latin pāgānismus (“heathenism”), from pāgānus (“peasant, rural, rustic”). The term was used pejoratively by early Muslims and Christians to belittle what remained of the native religions. Synchronically, pagan + -ism.

noun

1. Any indigenous polytheistic religion.
   Most people in that region practise their own form of paganism.
2. Any of a class of religions often associated with nature rituals.
   Various neopagan movements have arisen, each advancing its own form of paganism. Some are monotheist.