mythology

noun

my·​thol·​o·​gy mi-ˈthä-lə-jē 

plural mythologies

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

mythologer

mi-ˈthä-lə-jər 

noun

mythologist

mi-ˈthä-lə-jist 

noun

Synonyms of mythology

• folklore
• tradition
• lore

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

Volvo’s latest infotainment system, which runs the automaker’s OS now called HuginCore after the bird in Norse mythology, debuted in 2027 EX60 and runs off an in-house developed electrical architecture, core computer, and zone controllers. —Joel Feder, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026

Hemlock takes as much inspiration from horror as from folklore and mythology. —Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

The episode delivers a surprising twist involving Thalia that deviates from Rick Riordan’s original mythology and sets up a grim reality for Percy as a looming war against Kronos approaches in Season 3. —Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

The 30‑meter‑tall steel horse‑head sculptures embody the fusion of Scotland’s rich heritage and mythology with the power of Scottish industry and engineering. —Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mythology

• anthology
• apology
• astrology
• biology
• christology
• chronology
• conchology
• cosmology
• cryptology
• cytology
• doxology
• ecology

Kids Definition

mythology

noun

my·​thol·​o·​gy mith-ˈäl-ə-jē 

plural mythologies

1

: a collection of myths

especially : the myths dealing with the gods and heroes of a particular people

Greek mythology

2

: a branch of knowledge that deals with myths

mythological

ˌmith-ə-ˈläj-i-kəl

adjective