hagiography

[hag-ee-og-ruh-fee, hey-jee-]

noun

plural

hagiographies 

1. the writing and critical study of the lives of the saints; hagiology.

2. a biography that treats the person with excessive or undue admiration.

hagiography

/ ˌhæɡɪˈɒɡrəfɪ, ˌhæɡɪəˈɡræfɪk /

noun

1. the writing of the lives of the saints

2. biography of the saints

3. any biography that idealizes or idolizes its subject

Other Word Forms

• hagiographic adjective
• hagiographical adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hagiography¹

First recorded in 1805–15; hagio- + -graphy

Example Sentences

When prominent political or cultural figures die in the U.S., the remembrance of their life often veers into hagiography.

From Salon

It is not a hagiography but a raw account of a mother-daughter bond she calls "a respectful relationship between two nuclear powers. Which is OK, keep it cool".

From BBC

The book isn’t hagiography, because Guralnick does so much research and reporting for every book that he’s incapable of writing a one-sided account of any subject.

From Los Angeles Times

It was important to me not to make a hagiography.

From Salon

The result is not hagiography, but a revealing glimpse inside the too-brief life of an artist as tormented as he was talented.

From Los Angeles Times