hagiography

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

noun, plural hag·i·og·ra·phies.

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

Origin of hagiography

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

Related formshag·i·o·graph·ic

[hag-ee-uh-graf-ik, hey-jee-] /ˌhæg i əˈgræf ɪk, ˌheɪ dʒi-/, hag·i·o·graph·i·cal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for hagiography

Contemporary Examples

She wants a “hagiography,” and the conflicts and confusions that ensue provide The Last Word with its comic momentum.
A Novel About a Novelist ‘Like’ Naipaul
Edward Platt
November 6, 2014
One has to be careful not to descend into a mess of hagiography.
David Foster Wallace, Traditionalist? Considering ‘Both Flesh and Not: Essays’
David Masciotra
November 2, 2012
Blogger Jonathan Tobin commemorated the event with a burst of hagiography.
Scooped
Peter Beinart
June 1, 2012
Called, aptly, Sergio, the film teeters on the brink of hagiography.
The Life and Death of a U.N. Hero
Tunku Varadarajan
May 6, 2010
The book is a counterpunch to the volumes of Oprah hagiography the publishing business has churned out over the years.
Oprah's Kremlinologist
Rebecca Dana
November 20, 2009

Historical Examples

The "Legende Doree" was especially opulent in Roman hagiography.
The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard
Anatole France
But the great and absorbing subject of poetry in this age is Hagiography.
Anglo-Saxon Literature
John Earle
To him the problems of archaeology, history, and hagiography are impertinent.
Art
Clive Bell
Therefore, the psychologist finds the study of hagiography teeming with information.
Metapsychical Phenomena
J. Maxwell
I think you ought to prepare a compendium of hagiography or a really informative work on heraldry.
L-bas
J. K. Huysmans

British Dictionary definitions for hagiography

hagiography

noun plural -phies

the writing of the lives of the saints
biography of the saints
any biography that idealizes or idolizes its subject

Derived Formshagiographic (ˌhæɡɪəˈɡræfɪk) or hagiographical, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for hagiography

n.

"writing of saints' lives," 1821, from Greek hagios "holy" (see hagiology) + -graphy. Related: Hagiographic (1819); hagiographical (1580s); hagiographer (1650s).

hagiography

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}hagiography

Examples from the Web for hagiography

Contemporary Examples

She wants a “hagiography,” and the conflicts and confusions that ensue provide The Last Word with its comic momentum.

One has to be careful not to descend into a mess of hagiography.

Blogger Jonathan Tobin commemorated the event with a burst of hagiography.

Called, aptly, Sergio, the film teeters on the brink of hagiography.

The book is a counterpunch to the volumes of Oprah hagiography the publishing business has churned out over the years.

Historical Examples

The "Legende Doree" was especially opulent in Roman hagiography.

But the great and absorbing subject of poetry in this age is Hagiography.

To him the problems of archaeology, history, and hagiography are impertinent.

Therefore, the psychologist finds the study of hagiography teeming with information.

I think you ought to prepare a compendium of hagiography or a really informative work on heraldry.

hagiography

Word Origin and History for hagiography

n.

Origin of hagiography