mythos

American  

[mith-os, mahy-thos] / ˈmɪθ ɒs, ˈmaɪ θɒs /

noun

plural

mythoi

1. the underlying system of beliefs, especially those dealing with supernatural forces, characteristic of a particular cultural group.

2. myth.

3. mythology.

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mythos British  

/ ˈmɪθɒs, ˈmaɪθɒs /

noun

1. the complex of beliefs, values, attitudes, etc, characteristic of a specific group or society

2. another word for myth mythology

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Etymology

Origin of mythos

1745–55; < Greek mȳ́thos; myth

Example Sentences

Aside from the horse, the wolf is probably the four-legged animal most associated with the mixed American mythos of rugged independence and family values.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025

“Our mythos emerged from comic books and gaming culture and it has a narrative. Each band member has a character; they are part of our zeitgeist.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025

Every tweak, however small, feels like a challenge to a mythos that some customers have long believed they own.

From Salon • Aug. 22, 2025

The fabric has long been shorthand for rugged individualism and the everyday workwear mythos of the American frontier — in other words, a different, portable performance of Americana.

From Salon • Aug. 22, 2025

Hinduism had started off as a polytheistic religion, a set of tales about warrior gods and battles similar in many ways to the Greek mythos.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife