hierology

American

[hahy-uh-rol-uh-jee, hahy-rol-] / ˌhaɪ əˈrɒl ə dʒi, haɪˈrɒl- /

noun

literature or learning regarding sacred things.
hagiological literature or learning.

hierology British

/ ˌhaɪərəˈlɒdʒɪk, ˌhaɪəˈrɒlədʒɪ /

noun

sacred literature
a biography of a saint

"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

Other Word Forms

hierologic adjective
hierological adjective
hierologist noun

Etymology

Origin of hierology

First recorded in 1830–40; hiero- + -logy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The best critical writers on ancient history have agreed not to throw away the cosmogony and the hierology of Greece.

From The Book-Hunter A New Edition, with a Memoir of the Author by Burton, John Hill

In the Nichiren hierology, it is as though the symbolical figures in the Book of Revelation had been deified and worshipped.

From The Religions of Japan From the Dawn of History to the Era of Méiji by Griffis, William Elliot

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023