mythology

American  

[mi-thol-uh-jee] / mɪˈθɒl ə dʒi /

noun

mythologies plural

1. a body of myths, as that of a particular people or that relating to a particular person.

   Greek mythology.

2. myths collectively.

3. the science or study of myths.

4. a set of stories, traditions, or beliefs associated with a particular group or the history of an event, arising naturally or deliberately fostered.

   the Fascist mythology of the interwar years.

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mythology British  

/ mɪˈθɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. a body of myths, esp one associated with a particular culture, institution, person, etc

2. a body of stories about a person, institution, etc

   the mythology of Hollywood

3. myths collectively

4. the study or collecting of myths

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mythology Cultural  

1. The body of myths belonging to a culture. Myths are traditional stories about gods and heroes. They often account for the basic aspects of existence — explaining, for instance, how the Earth was created, why people have to die, or why the year is divided into seasons. Classical mythology — the myths of the ancient Greeks and Romans — has had an enormous influence on European and American culture.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mythologies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mythology

1375–1425; late Middle English mythologie < Late Latin mȳthologia < Greek mȳthología. See mytho-, -logy

Explanation

A mythology is a collection of myths or stories about a specific person, culture, religion, or any group with shared beliefs. Most people don’t consider mythology to be entirely true, but they still take it seriously. A myth is a story about the olden days, often featuring supernatural characters, and a mythology is a bunch of myths that are related to each other. Greek mythology is filled with tales about relationships between gods and humans, usually with gods pulling pranks all the time. Christian mythology tells the story of God creating the Earth and everything after. Mythology can also mean the study of myths in an academic situation, like studying mythology at a university.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mythology mythologies

Since first emerging online in 2019 on the online bulletin board 4chan, the Backrooms phenomenon has expanded across Reddit, TikTok, YouTube and gaming platforms, where users collectively map, narrate and extend its mythology.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

Sonnenshine and the “Little House” writers walk a fine line between the harsher recent revelations concerning the ways Ingalls’ bootstrapping mythology in the books doesn’t square with history or reality.

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026

Keri Hulme shapes her novel out of all three of their voices, a kind of collective poetry of Maori and Celtic mythology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

I think so much of the understanding of our country’s mythology can be explained by: “History is written by the victors.”

From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2026

It exists in the mythology of Egypt, Greece, the Middle East, and Europe, and is the same as the vermilion bird of ancient China.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Set partly in Eatonville, one of the country’s first incorporated all-black towns, the novel is rich in regional idioms and mythologies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Timothée Chalamet, for example, is hugely popular - but his most recent hits have been Dune and Wonka, which had their own existing fanbases and mythologies.

From BBC ● May 24, 2024

The Ceiba occupies a central position in various Mesoamerican mythologies, while the imposing tree’s thorns turn up as ritual decoration on ancient Maya incense burners and burial urns.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2024

Fewer Americans today revere the Confederacy than did in prior generations, but to better understand why these traumatic mythologies still hold power, we must gain a more complete understanding of the past.

From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2024

And as she read, America’s mythologies began to take on meaning, America’s tribalisms—race, ideology, and region—became clear.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• belief
• legend
• lore
• tradition