异教，指不同的教。有两种含义，第一种含义是指不同的文化教俗，如「五帝殊礼，三王异教」。第二种含义是指站在一种文化教俗的角度称其他不同的教为异教，即不同的外教。这种含义又分成三种情况：①第一种情况是将不同于自己文化教俗的国外的教称为异教，中国人将不同于中国文化教俗的外国的教称为异教；②第二种情况是同一个社会的不同思想教派将其他的教称为异教。③第三种情况是基于亚伯拉罕系宗教中心观的专有名词，音译为徘艮宗教。广义上特指非亚伯拉罕系，或非一神教的诸宗教，包括适此定义的现当代新宗教如大本教。稍为狭义则指非亚伯拉罕系诸宗教中的原始宗教形式，特别是充斥着巫、多神、萨满、民族神话元素的具有代表性的原始宗教如雅兹迪，及由这类宗教派生的现当代新宗教如白教。最狭义的用法是指欧洲民族，特别是日耳曼、北欧、凯尔特、斯拉夫、古希腊罗马及南欧等民族的非亚伯拉罕系民族原生宗教，及基于这些欧洲原生宗教的现当代新宗教如威卡教、日耳曼新异教运动等。

Paganism is a term that developed among the Christian community of southern Europe during late antiquity to describe religions other than their own, Judaism, or Islam–the three Abrahamic religions. Throughout Christendom, it continued to be used, typically in a derogatory sense. In the 19th century, it was re-adopted as a self-descriptor by members of various artistic groups inspired by the ancient world. In the 20th century, it came to be applied as a self-description by practitioners of contemporary pagan, or neo-pagan, religious movements.