the quality of being a gentile, esp. heathenism; paganism
Word origin
[1570–80; gentile + -ism]This word is first recorded in the period 1570–80. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: balloon, cartridge, pigeonhole, refraction, repeater-ism is a suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it was used to form action nounsfrom verbs (baptism). On this model, -ism is used as a productive suffix in the formation of nouns denoting action or practice,state or condition, principles, doctrines, a usage or characteristic, devotion oradherence, etc. (criticism; barbarism; Darwinism; despotism; plagiarism; realism; witticism; intellectualism)