mythical
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, of the nature of, or involving a myth.
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dealt with in myth, as a prehistoric period.
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dealing with myths, as writing.
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existing only in myth, as a person.
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without foundation in fact; imaginary; fictitious.
The explanation was entirely mythical.
adjective
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of or relating to myth
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imaginary or fictitious
Other Word Forms
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mythicallyadverb
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mythicalnessnoun
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nonmythicaladjective
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nonmythicallyadverb
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premythicaladjective
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pseudomythicaladjective
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pseudomythicallyadverb
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quasi-mythicaladjective
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quasi-mythicallyadverb
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semimythicadjective
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semimythicaladjective
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semimythicallyadverb
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unmythicaladjective
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unmythicallyadverb
Etymology
Origin of mythical
1670–80; < Late Latin mȳthicus < Greek mȳthikós of myths ( see myth, -ic) + -al 1
Explanation
Mythical means from myth, fables, or other traditional stories. A mythical story has no basis in historical events. Sometimes someone whose deeds far outshine others is referred to as mythical. There are a number of mythical animals that inhabit stories from around the globe. A white horse with a horn protruding from its forehead, the unicorn, is a mythical beast that is very popular worldwide. Much of Western art takes mythical stories, gods, goddesses, or other spirit creatures as subject matter.
Vocabulary lists containing mythical
100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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Gong Xi Fa Cai! Vocabulary for the Lunar New Year
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Explorers: Triumphs and Troubles
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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.
Among the discoveries is a copy of a well-known regnal list that records both mythical and historical rulers.
From Science Daily • May 5, 2026
On “Battlestar Galactica,” the survivors desperately searched for a mythical place called, yes, Earth.
From Salon • May 5, 2026
Yet for all the mythical qualities of Apollo, Jack Kiraly, director of government relations at the Planetary Society, said "nostalgia" perhaps "glosses over some of the issues that the program at the time faced."
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
The original game featured 151 species, but by 2026, about 1,025 had been introduced - all based on real-life animals or mythical creatures.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
I had come to think of it in the same way most children think of the Fae court, a mythical place reserved for dreaming about.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions 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.
