mythology

noun

my·thol·o·gy | \ mi-ˈthä-lə-jē

plural mythologies

Definition of mythology

1 : an allegorical narrative

2 : a body of myths: such as

a : the myths dealing with the gods, demigods, and legendary heroes of a particular people

b : mythos sense 2 cold war mythology

3 : a branch of knowledge that deals with myth

4 : a popular belief or assumption that has grown up around someone or something : myth sense 2a defective mythologies that ignore masculine depth of feeling— Robert Bly

Other Words from mythology Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about mythology

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Examples of mythology in a Sentence

We have been studying ancient Greek mythology. We compared the two cultures' mythologies. There is a popular mythology that he discovered the cause of the disease by himself.

Recent Examples on the Web

Over the course of the show’s 10 seasons, though, more and more elements of the classic DC comics mythology began to creep in, including various members of the Justice League of America, who started showing up in season 4. — Noel Murray, The Verge, "This weekend, stream a different version of Aquaman from home," 21 Dec. 2018 These could have had a cultural influence on evolving Norse mythology, including the concept of Ragnarök. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "“Wolf’s jaw” star cluster may have inspired parts of Ragnarök myth," 16 Nov. 2018 The volcano topped with a deep crater lake is at the heart of North Korea's foundation mythology used to legitimize the Kim family's dynastic rule. — Fox News, "The Latest: Trump welcomes 'tremendous progress' with NKorea," 19 Sep. 2018 For much of the war—a good deal of American mythology to the contrary notwithstanding—militias had been a problem for the Patriot cause. — Alan Pell Crawford, WSJ, "‘Daniel Morgan: A Revolutionary Life’ Review: A Brawling Upstart and His Victory," 14 Dec. 2018 Kevin building model planes with Jack is already a big part of the show’s mythology. — Emma Dibdin, Country Living, "'This Is Us' Recap: Jack and an Adult Kate Appeared Together for the First Time and It Was Emotional," 10 Oct. 2018 According to classical mythology, after Uranus (the Father of the Sky) was castrated by his son, Cronus (more commonly known as Saturn), Uranus’s testicles were thrust into the ocean. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What the Position of Venus in Your Birth Chart Means for You," 31 July 2018 Crabb said adding culture and mythology to learning the actual language and studying grammar gives students more context. — Michael Walsh, Courant Community, "Students Taking Interest In Latin," 10 July 2018 According to Condo—who is low-key and modest despite his encyclopaedic knowledge of art history, current affairs and mythology—the secret behind his evocative canvases is fairly simple. — Dorian May, A-LIST, "Portrait of an Artist: George Condo," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mythology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for mythology

Middle English methologie, mithologie "exposition of a myth, book of myths," borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French mythologie, borrowed from Late Latin mȳthologia (in Mythologiae, title of a myth compilation by Fulgentius, ca. 500), borrowed from Greek mȳthología "fiction, storytelling," from mŷthos "utterance, tale, myth" + -o- -o- + -logia -logy