a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.
stories or matter of this kind.
realm of myth.
any invented story, idea, or concept.
His account of the event is pure myth.
an imaginary or fictitious thing or person.
an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.
mythological.
mythology.
a person or thing whose existence is fictional or unproven
(in modern literature) a theme or character type embodying an idea
Hemingway's myth of the male hero
philosophy (esp in the writings of Plato) an allegory or parable
mythological
mythology
See legend.
First recorded in 1820–30; from Late Latin mȳthus, from Greek mŷthos “story, word”
A myth is a story that’s told again and again and serves to explain why something is the way it is. A creation myth, for example, is a story that tells how the world came into being. You may have studied Greek or Roman myths in which gods and goddesses wage war and play tricks on each other. These myths are not necessarily true stories from the past — the main idea is that they explain certain ideas about the world and how people act. The story might be accepted as true and serve to explain some fact about the world, or it might be known to be made-up but nevertheless illustrates something about people or history.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And part of that myth is the conflation between willpower and grit.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026
"The biggest myth about grief is that it happens in neat, orderly stages and that you eventually get over it," said Dawson.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
But as in a two-for-one, if you can be sold on the myth that AI is superhuman, it travels along with the idea that regular humans are disposable.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
I mistakenly repeated a common myth as fact—that’s on me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
But myth was the ordinary terrain of his mind, whereas it had never occurred to him that the Godslayer might have a mother.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
“It’s a very powerful myth. It’s almost like the American dream — it’s a myth. But a lot of people think it’s an entitlement: ‘Where’s my American dream?’
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
“This was kind of a myth. This was something Dennis perpetuated.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2026
“At first they didn’t believe it, and people thought it was a mistake or a myth. But sightings just kept coming!”
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2023
“We all definitely have a lot of struggles and the fact that we’re speaking out about them in a public forum starts to deconstruct that myth. We’re human, we’re complicated people.”
From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2022
“It’s mostly a myth. Besides, I don’t know that I trust the sword.”
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
The author’s careful research destroys many Victorian myths about the lives and fates of these women.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
In the remaining lore, myths recur of episodes of runaway planetary temperature changes, hot and cold, as well as a series of volcanic blasts that changed the globe.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
In the closing moments of our interview, Earl Spencer revealed himself not to be a public figure trying to settle old scores or correct myths about his incredibly famous sister.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
One of the most central myths in online testosterone research is that the more is always better, without qualification.
From Slate ● Sep. 13, 2026
Since large-scale human cooperation is based on myths, the way people cooperate can be altered by changing the myths—by telling different stories.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
