English · Word Candidate

mythology

/mɪˈθɒl.ə.d͡ʒi/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: mythologies

Sense 1

Meaning · English

The collection of myths of a people, concerning the origin of the people, history, deities, ancestors and heroes.

Noun

Examples

Now the great obstacle in tracing the identity of any of the basic forms of worship lies in the vast number of names which appear in the ancient idolatries and mythologies, creating the illusion of a miscellany of gods, whereas many of these different names refer to the same deity. Thus the sun has

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A similar body of myths concerning an event, person or institution.

Noun

Examples

This program to distinguish Austria from Germany was important to building a new Austria, but it also indirectly contributed to victim mythology by implying that participation in the Nazi war of conquest was antithetical to Austrian identity.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “mythology” mean?

The collection of myths of a people, concerning the origin of the people, history, deities, ancestors and heroes.

Is “mythology” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.