monotheism
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of monotheism
First recorded in 1650–60; mono- + (poly)theism
Explanation
Monotheism is the belief in a single all-powerful god, as opposed to religions that believe in multiple gods. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are widely practiced forms of monotheism. Monotheism comes from the combination of the Greek prefixes monos-, “alone” or “single,” and theo-, “god.” There are many words that come from the Greek base theo-: theology, polytheist, and atheism, to name a few. All of these theo- words have to do with god, gods, or the study of religion. Monotheism is any religion that believes in one god. Buddhism, for instance, isn’t an example of monotheism because Buddha is not considered a god who created the universe.
Vocabulary lists containing monotheism
Human Geography - Middle School
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Human Geography - High School
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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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.
What is really the world’s oldest profession has devolved from pitching ethical monotheism to getting free merch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Stasevska was born in 1984, the same year that Glass’ hypnotic, ritualistic opera, about an Egyptian pharaoh who dared to push monotheism onto his polytheistic culture, debuted in Stuttgart, Germany.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
Muslims do not worship the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure covered in a black, gold-embroidered cloth, but view it as their most sacred place and a powerful symbol of unity and monotheism.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 25, 2023
The popularity of mystery cults may have been a precursor to monotheism in Rome, as seen in the rise of Christianity.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
The transition from polytheism to monotheism was only made in Palestine and in the tradition of the Hebrews.
From Outlines of a Philosophy of Religion based on Psychology and History by Auguste Sabatier
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
