Mithraism

[mith-ruh-iz-uh m]

noun

an ancient Persian religion in which Mithras was worshiped, involving secret rituals to which only men were admitted: a major competitor of Christianity in the Roman empire during the 2nd and 3rd centuries a.d.

Also Mith·ra·i·cism

[mith-rey-uh-siz-uh m] /mɪθˈreɪ əˌsɪz əm/.

Origin of Mithraism

Mithra(s) + -ism

Related formsMith·ra·ic

[mith-rey-ik] /mɪθˈreɪ ɪk/, Mith·ra·is·tic, adjectiveMith·ra·ist, noun

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

Examples from the Web for mithraism

Historical Examples of mithraism

It was manifestly prior both to Christianity and to Mithraism.
The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism
Franz Cumont
Mithraism easily combined with the worship of Apollo, or the Sun-God.
The Expositor's Bible: The Acts of the Apostles, Vol. 1
G. T. Stokes
It is highly probable that he had been influenced by Mithraism.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind
Herbert George Wells
In the reign of Pompey, Mithraism, a cult borrowed from Persia, was spread throughout the empire.
Reincarnation
Th. Pascal
And Mithraism itself regarded religion under the figure of a warfare.
The Origin of Paul's Religion
J. Gresham Machen

British Dictionary definitions for mithraism

Mithraism

Mithraicism (mɪθˈreɪɪˌsɪzəm)

noun

the ancient Persian religion of Mithras. It spread to the Roman Empire during the first three centuries ad

Derived FormsMithraic (mɪθˈreɪɪk) or Mithraistic, adjectiveMithraist, noun, 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