polytheism

American  

[pol-ee-thee-iz-uhm, pol-ee-thee-iz-uhm] / ˈpɒl i θiˌɪz əm, ˌpɒl iˈθi ɪz əm /

noun

1. the doctrine of or belief in more than one god or in many gods.

---

polytheism British  

/ ˈpɒlɪθiːˌɪzəm, ˌpɒlɪˈθiːɪzəm /

noun

1. the worship of or belief in more than one god

---

polytheism Cultural  

1. The belief in more than one god. The ancient Greeks, for example, were polytheists; their gods included Apollo, Athena, Dionysus, and Zeus. (Compare monotheism.)

---

Other Word Forms

• polytheist noun
• polytheistic adjective
• polytheistical adjective
• polytheistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of polytheism

1605–15; poly- + theism; compare French polythéisme

Explanation

Polytheism is belief in many gods — it's kind of the opposite of monotheism, which is belief in one god. If you believe in polytheism, you have a bunch of gods to thank or blame. Though the most widely known religions today — Christianity, Judaism, and Islam — are all examples of monotheism, there have been plenty of religions that preach polytheism. Followers of those religions believe in a pantheon or group of gods, like the ancient Greeks who worshipped Zeus, Athena and the gang. Usually in polytheist religions certain gods are associated with specific things, like war or love.

Example Sentences

The opera ends with Akhnaten’s son, presumably Tutankhamun, restoring polytheism, and then, once the staging jumps millennia into the future, it’s rediscovered by modern-day tourists.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

The peninsula was home to those practicing Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrian, and polytheism.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

That being noted, the incorporation of non-Christian celebrations into the liturgical calendar did not imply that Christians were willing to accept polytheism.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

A tragicomedy about polytheism starring petty gods who complain like tired parents annoyed by their noisy children.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2014

This was, to all intents and purposes, symbolic of a great struggle, in early days, between polytheism and monotheism—for the masses the former, for the more learned and thoughtful the latter.

From The Old Testament In the Light of The Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and Babylonia by Pinches, Theophilus Goldridge