myth

¹

[mith]

noun

1. 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.

2. stories or matter of this kind.

   realm of myth.

3. any invented story, idea, or concept.

   His account of the event is pure myth.

   Synonyms: fantasy, fiction

4. an imaginary or fictitious thing or person.

5. an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.

myth.

²

abbreviation

1. mythological.

2. mythology.

myth

¹

/ mɪθ /

noun

1. 1. a story about superhuman beings of an earlier age taken by preliterate society to be a true account, usually of how natural phenomena, social customs, etc, came into existence

   2. another word for mythology mythology

2. a person or thing whose existence is fictional or unproven

3. (in modern literature) a theme or character type embodying an idea

   Hemingway's myth of the male hero

4. philosophy (esp in the writings of Plato) an allegory or parable

myth.

²

abbreviation

1. mythological

2. mythology

Other Word Forms

• countermyth noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of myth¹

First recorded in 1820–30; from Late Latin mȳthus, from Greek mŷthos “story, word”

Word History and Origins

Origin of myth¹

C19: via Late Latin from Greek muthos fable, word

Synonym Study

See legend.

Example Sentences

We’d better start by stating that the metaphor involving boiling a frog by gradually increasing the temperature of the water is a myth.

From Salon

"I thought the overwhelming feeling of love was a myth but when I was first dating my partner I really did get butterflies and it was just astonishing."

From BBC

But the same kinds of popular myths that guided “The Biggest Loser” still have a lot of cultural currency, it turns out.

From Salon

The fight isn’t about logos; it’s about ownership and how fiercely we guard the myths we call our own.

From Salon

People who aren’t familiar with chthonic myths might want to do some research before reading.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fable 
• fantasy 
• fiction 
• illusion 
• imagination 
• legend 
• lore 
• parable 
• superstition 
• tale 
• tradition