"libertine scoffer at religion and the religious," c. 1530, from the name of the character in a work of that name printed c. 1512 by Wynkyn de Worde; from Hick, the common masc. nickname, + scorner.

c. 1300, "one who disdains or ridicules, a mocker," formerly especially "a scoffer at religion, one who mocks or derides church rules and leaders," agent noun from scorn (v.).

also in Latin form Belus, heaven-and-earth god of Babylonian religion, from Akkadian Belu, literally "lord, owner, master," cognate with Hebrew ba'al (see Baal).

"member or adherent of a sect," 1550s, from French sectaire or directly from Medieval Latin sectarius, from secta "religious group, sect in philosophy or religion" (see sect).

1570s, "Christianity, the Christian religion," from Christian + -ism. Obsolete, but revived or recoined c. 2004 in reference to politicized fundamentalist Christianity in the U.S. Related: Christianist.

1890, "tendency or need to conform" to some group standard, from conform + -ism. In religion, from c. 1902. In geology from c. 1912. Modern, general sociological sense (social conformism) popularized from c. 1948.

1580s, muphtie "official head of the state religion in Turkey," from Arabic mufti "judge," active participle (with formative prefix mu-) of afta "to give," conjugated form of fata "he gave a (legal) decision" (compare fatwa).

"one of no faith or religion," 1560s, from Latin nulli-, combining form of nullus "no" (see null) + fides "faith" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade"). As an adjective from 1620s.

c. 1200, ypocrite, "false pretender to virtue or religion," from Old French ypocrite (12c., Modern French hypocrite), from Church Latin hypocrita "a hypocrite," from Greek hypokritēs "stage actor; pretender, dissembler," from hypokrinesthai (see hypocrisy).

"one who liberates from bondage or restraint," 1782, agent noun in Latin form from emancipate. Emancipationist "one who favors emancipation" in any sense is from 1810 (originally in reference to religion in Ireland).