1. past tense of heathenize; to make heathen or convert to heathenism; to cause to abandon religious faith or become irreligious
Usage: formal; often historical or religious context; transitive verb

Examples

• The missionaries feared that prolonged contact with secular society had heathenized the younger generation.
• Critics argued that the empire's policies heathenized the native populations by suppressing their traditional religions.
• Some religious scholars believed that materialism had heathenized modern culture.
• The colonial administration was accused of having heathenized indigenous communities through forced assimilation.
• He claimed that the decline in church attendance heathenized the nation's moral fabric.