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

The hagiography of public figures serves several purposes.

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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".

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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.

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It was important to me not to make a hagiography.

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

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