as in paganism
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Recent Examples of polytheism
Nefertiti was the principal wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, the ruler who upended Egypt's religious customs away from polytheism and toward Atenism.
—
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Western antiquity Christianity was shaped by its roots in Judaism, but also its rejection of Greco-Roman religious culture, especially its polytheism.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 20 Jan. 2026
The Pope's polytheism places him among the people of Hell.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Religious history Fascinating finds related to religious history tell a story of diverse belief systems from the polytheism of the ancient Greeks and Romans to Buddhism and Christianity.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024
Also, Akhenaten’s successor tried to steer religion back to polytheism, which is contrary to Nefertiti’s earlier views.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 1 May 2024
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Western antiquity Christianity was shaped by its roots in Judaism, but also its rejection of Greco-Roman religious culture, especially its polytheism.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 20 Jan. 2026
The Pope's polytheism places him among the people of Hell.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Religious history Fascinating finds related to religious history tell a story of diverse belief systems from the polytheism of the ancient Greeks and Romans to Buddhism and Christianity.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024
Also, Akhenaten’s successor tried to steer religion back to polytheism, which is contrary to Nefertiti’s earlier views.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 1 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polytheism
Noun
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Sitting atop one of the seven hills overlooking the city, the site is like an archaeological mosaic where fragments of paganism, Christianity and Islam from different eras and empires coexist.—
NPR,
NPR,
26 Nov. 2025
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In all of the courses, the pedagogy is an awkward pastiche of traditions, combining Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Slavic paganism, Siberian shamanism, and Asian spiritual practices, spiked with elements of Jungian and American pop psychology.—
Julia Ioffe,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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With the rise of monotheism, their existence had to be brought under the power and perfection of a single god.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
27 Oct. 2025
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For instance, according to Alawite beliefs, Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, is a divine manifestation of God, which challenges the idea of strict monotheism central to Sunni Islam.—
Güneş Murat Tezcür,
The Conversation,
23 July 2025
Noun
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In 1809, Friedrich’s budding pantheism landed him in hot water.—
Zachary Fine,
The New Yorker,
28 June 2024
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If anyone is wondering, stoicism and pantheism are my preferred lenses through to view the world.—
Christa Allen,
Allure,
28 May 2021
Noun
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Parashat Mishpatim does not continue with mystical visions or soaring theology.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
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Read the story » More Top Stories Jay Caspian Kang speaks with a Catholic priest about the theology of immigration.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Chinese Communists aren’t trying to extirpate every last trace of theism, thereby inviting the undivided opposition of religious believers and institutions (as the Soviets did with regard to John Paul II’s Vatican).—
Cameron Hilditch,
National Review,
21 Feb. 2021
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Thoreau moves fluidly between the two, shuttling between the divine and the here-and-now, between theism and materialism.—
Longreads,
Longreads,
13 July 2017
Noun
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This doctrine was used during the Civil Rights era; if a white defendant was found not guilty of murdering a Black victim in state court in the South, for example, he could still be tried for a civil rights violation in federal court.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2026
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Successful leverage of the First Sale doctrine can significantly reduce tariff costs, though companies will need to meet the stringent conditions of the rule and provide extensive documentation of all transactions to CBP.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This vague gesture in the direction of deism has no antecedent in the book, no moral or theological trajectory to make Bambi’s insight meaningful or satisfying.—
Kathryn Schulz,
The New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2022
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Those intuitions usually commended a staid deism and scorn for those whose beliefs extended any further.—
Jeffrey Collins,
WSJ,
12 Mar. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Polytheism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polytheism. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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