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

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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

The Little Mermaid's Ariel and Hercules are cousins Anyone who's studied Greek mythology will quickly realize how these two Disney characters are totally related. — Stacey Grant, Seventeen, "20 Insane Disney Movie Fan Theories That Will Blow. Your. Mind.," 16 Apr. 2019 His early work was more formal in tone and inspired by mythology, after the poems of Robert Graves (whose son Merwin tutored in Majorca) and Wallace Stevens. — Bridget Read, Vogue, "W.S. Merwin, Prize-Winning Poet and Conservationist, Has Died at 91," 15 Mar. 2019 In the mythology of the Kwakiutl tribe that once heavily populated the western coast of British Columbia, Dzunukwa is a big, hairy female that lives deep in the mountainous forests. — Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics, "Science Meets Legend: The Story of Our Search for Bigfoot," 8 Oct. 2018 Now, the follow-up promises to push the mythology of the property further. — Graeme Mcmillan, The Hollywood Reporter, "Cult Noir Comic 'Spencer & Locke' Returns This Winter," 12 July 2018 Because the show lovingly spoofs the dense mythology and interpersonal dynamics of space operas like Solo: A Star Wars Story, which is out in theaters this weekend. — Noel Murray, The Verge, "After Solo: A Star Wars Story, spend half an hour in Paul Feig’s Other Space," 25 May 2018 The libretto from the premiere has Orpheus being torn to pieces by maenads, the female devotees of Bacchus whose bloodthirsty rampages figure in both the mythology and evidently the historical truth of ancient Greece. — Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Monterverdi’s ‘Orfeo’ gets some new music in Berkeley," 21 Apr. 2018 One of the most important holy places, the Kashihara Jingu Shrine is dedicated to the deity Emperor Jimmu, the founder of the Japanese nation according to mythology. — USA TODAY, "How to experience authentic Japan," 31 May 2018 Taiz thinks that human beings are fatally susceptible to the mythology of thinking, feeling, speaking trees. — Diàna Markosian, Smithsonian, "Do Trees Talk to Each Other?," 22 Feb. 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