pantheon
noun
Note: Generic use of this sense is rare. The capitalized form Pantheon is the common name of a domed temple in Rome that was begun in 27 b.c. by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and completely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian circa 118-128 a.d. It was dedicated in 609 a.d. as the Church of Santa Maria Rotonda, or Santa Maria ad Martyres.
Note: Generic use of this sense is rare. The capitalized form Pantheon is used as or in the English-language names of various buildings around the world that are memorials to or resting places for the dead, perhaps most famously the Pantheon (French: Panthéon) of Paris, which was begun circa 1757 by the architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot as the Church of Sainte-Geneviève.
Did you know?
Some of the earliest uses of pantheon in the English language refer to the 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"). In today's English, pantheon often refers to all the gods of a particular people (as in "the Egyptian pantheon"), a sense that arose in the 16th century but was rarely used until the 19th century. More often, though, pantheon bears a meaning developed later to refer to the eminent company of the highly venerated, be they human or not. A pantheon of this type includes no deities; it is a group of famous or notable people or things, as in "a book joining the pantheon of great world literature."
Cite this Entry
“Pantheon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pantheon. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.
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