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

“Your management has been telling you a lie that if you work hard enough, you’ll make more money, even though you don’t control the cost of food, the marketing, your hours. This idea that you have total control over how much money you make is a myth sold to us by ownership.”

From Salon

In his tenure at Fox News, Tucker Carlson was a prime disseminator of Great Replacement narratives, particularly those connecting it the next key element of 2024 gaslighting: the voter fraud myth.

From Salon

For Trump, the myth of voter fraud vindicates his self-image as a defender of American democracy, who is sometimes forced to ask election officials to find him several thousand votes.

From Salon

The premise is built around an urban myth that Candyman roamed the Cabrini-Green housing projects in Chicago and could be summoned by saying his name five times in front of a mirror.

From Los Angeles Times

Time and again, however, scientists have crunched the numbers and determined that the 27 Club has more basis in myth than in math.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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