mythomania

noun mytho·ma·nia \ ˌmi-thə-ˈmā-nē-ə , -nyə \

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of mythomania

: an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying and exaggerating

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mythomaniac

play \-nē-ˌak\ noun or adjective

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Did You Know?

We wouldn't lie to you about the history of "mythomania." It comes from two ancient roots, the Greek mythos (meaning "myth") and the Late Latin mania (meaning "insanity marked by uncontrolled emotion or excitement"). One myth about "mythomania" is that it's a very old word; actually, the earliest known uses of the term date only from the beginning of the 20th century. It was predated by a related word, "mythomaniac," which appeared around the middle of the 19th century. "Mythomaniac" initially referred to someone who was obsessed with or passionate about myths but was eventually used for individuals affected with or exhibiting mythomania.

Origin and Etymology of mythomania

borrowed from French mythomanie, from Greek mŷthos "utterance, tale, myth" + French -o- -o- + manie mania

Note: As a medical term introduced by the French psychiatrist Ernest Dupré (1862-1921), probably first in "La mythomanie: Étude psychologique et médico-légale du mensonge et de la fabulation morbides," Le Bulletin médical, no. 23 (25 mars 1905), p. 263.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1909

in the meaning defined above

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