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 for

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 for

1. mythological
2. mythology

Other Words From

• counter·myth 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

Instead, it’s the myth that the flu shot itself makes you sick.

From Quartz

Blockchain surveillance tools are powerful and increasingly widespread, proving that cryptocurrency is not as anonymous as popular myth might have it.

From MIT Technology Review

The popular myth that Belarusians simply aren’t strong enough to stand up for themselves has been debunked.

From Ozy

Benedict was stopping in New Mexico to study myth and ritual in the Zuni Pueblo.

From Nautilus

Even seasoned marketers can feel out of the SEO loop sometimes, especially when myths and speculations regarding algorithm updates spread online.

From Search Engine Watch

In the 70s, this myth kept openly gay people out of teaching positions.

From The Daily Beast

And they all travel affordably, busting the myth that travel is only for the elite.

From The Daily Beast

Hangover Rx: “The old ‘hair of the dog’ is pretty much just a myth,” says White.

From The Daily Beast

“The crack baby myth is being recapitulated in terms of NAS,” Sunderlin said.

From The Daily Beast

And likewise the Easter bunny, a bizarre pagan myth if ever one there was.

From The Daily Beast

The myth of "Boreas and Orithyia," though faulty perhaps in technique, is good in conception and arrangement.

From Project Gutenberg

No such ethical bearing as this was ever assigned the myth by the red race before they were taught by Europeans.

From Project Gutenberg

I wanted to show you that this man with the gold tooth and the brown beard is no myth, as you seem to believe.

From Project Gutenberg

For ourselves, we do not credit the myth of the Hellenists; of the very existence of a Hercules we are profoundly incredulous.

From Project Gutenberg

In Celtic myth the Silver Bough played a less sinister part, and figures as a fairy talisman to music and delight.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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