pantheon

noun pan·the·on \ ˈpan(t)-thē-ˌän , -ən \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of pantheon

1 : a temple dedicated to all the gods

The emperor Marcus Agrippa had a pantheon built in Rome.

2 : a building serving as the burial place of or containing memorials to the famous dead of a nation

Many eminent French citizens have been interred in a pantheon in Paris.

3 : the gods of a people; especially : the officially recognized gods

4 : a group of illustrious or notable persons or things

He occupies a place in the pantheon of great American writers.

See pantheon defined for English-language learners

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Examples of pantheon in a Sentence

the Greek and Roman pantheons

Recent Examples of pantheon from the Web

This is why, formally at least, The Recovering isn’t so different from other works in the pantheon of quit lit.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "Writing and Alcohol: A Reckoning," 6 Apr. 2018
If there's a pantheon of great airplanes, the X-planes deserve an entire wing of the place.

— jack stewart, WIRED, "NASA's Newest X-Plane Could Revive Supersonic Flight for the Masses," 3 Apr. 2018
But Spicer’s time was, in many ways, unforgettable in the pantheon of White House spokespeople.

— matt stout, BostonGlobe.com, "Sean Spicer is coming to town — to raise money for a Warren opponent," 28 Mar. 2018
Among the most common animals sacrificed by the Maya in honor of their pantheon was the humble dog, a creature whose domestication in Guatemala dates to a time long before the Common Era.

— ryan p. smith, Smithsonian, "Dogs Were Transported Across Great Distances for Ancient Maya Rituals," 19 Mar. 2018
Comic book adaptations are changing for the better, and hopefully DuVernay’s hiring is one of many steps towards building a new pantheon of blockbuster directors who can finally create worlds of their own.

— richard newby, The Hollywood Reporter, "What Ava DuVernay's 'New Gods' Says About DC," 16 Mar. 2018
Surely there’s room in the pantheon of declared national titles for a 13–0 team.

— andy staples, SI.com, "UCF's Follow-Up Act Will Be Just as Important as Its Flawless Season," 12 Mar. 2018
The radical nature of these 50-year-old shows might be difficult to see today, when Postminimal and Conceptual art are firmly ensconced in the cultural pantheon.

— christopher knight, latimes.com, "'Harald Szeemann': A rare, fascinating exhibition about the curator, not the artist," 8 Mar. 2018
At the top of his hate pantheon are the Rolling Stones, The Who, heavy-metal music, pop music, rock music — in fact, any music except jazz.

— gogo lidz, Newsweek, "Ginger Baker Hates You," 16 Oct. 2013

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

Did You Know?

Some of the earliest uses of this word in the English language refer to that most famous Pantheon, the circular domed temple built in Rome more than 19 centuries ago (and still standing). We can easily identify the origins of the temple's name, which the Romans borrowed from the Greek word for a temple honoring all their gods. That Greek word, pantheion, combines pan- ("all") and theos ("god"). Later on, in English, "all the gods" was used to mean just that - a pantheon could be a collective of gods (as "the Egyptian pantheon"). We stop short of worshiping outstanding men and women as actual gods, of course, but nevertheless, in the 19th century we also began using pantheon as a word for any eminent company of the highly venerated.

Origin and Etymology of pantheon

Middle English Panteon, a temple at Rome, from Latin Pantheon, from Greek pantheion temple of all the gods, from neuter of pantheios of all gods, from pan- + theos god

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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Other Archaeology Terms

Attic, Byzantine, Paleolithic, cairn, core, flint, horizon, neolithic, shard, stratum

PANTHEON Defined for English Language Learners

pantheon

noun

Definition of pantheon for English Language Learners

: the gods of a particular country or group of people
: a group of people who are famous or important
: a temple that is built to honor all the gods of a particular country or group of people