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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Some of the earliest information about Khanty religious traditions comes from Russian priests who sent their reports to the archbishop of Siberia to alert him to the problem of continued paganism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Jan. 2026
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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
Noun
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Stasevska was born in 1984, the same year that Glass’ hypnotic, ritualistic opera, about an Egyptian pharaoh who dared to push monotheism onto his polytheistic culture, debuted in Stuttgart, Germany.—
Tim Greiving,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
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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
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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Christian theology decreed that God must be greater than any of his creations — the only true infinity, bigger than any number.—
Joseph Howlett,
Quanta Magazine,
25 Feb. 2026
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The family’s bibles and literature on Christian theology were also seized during the raid.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
13 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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Defending against such weapons requires an even bigger number of interceptors — typical military doctrine calls for firing two or three at each incoming target to maximize the chances of hitting it.—
Gerry Doyle,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
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The doctrine required broadcasters to present contrasting viewpoints on controversial public issues.—
Jay Caruso,
The Washington Examiner,
27 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 2 Mar. 2026.
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