mythology

mythology — noun

1. traditional stories that belong to a particular culture, especially about gods,

1.nounB1
Definition

traditional stories that belong to a particular culture, especially about gods, heroes, and the origins of natural events or customs

Example

Theo's favourite subject at school was Greek mythology, especially stories about Zeus and Athena.

collocation: Greek mythology / [culture] mythology

Many indigenous cultures have their own creation mythology that explains how the world began.

collocation: creation mythology

Common collocations
  • creation mythology
  • Greek mythology
  • Roman mythology
  • Norse mythology
  • Hindu mythology
  • a rich mythology
Synonyms
  • folklore

    broader term that includes myths, legends, customs, and traditions of a community, not just sacred stories

  • legend

    focuses on heroic tales that may have a historical basis, whereas mythology includes stories about gods and creation

  • lore

    less formal, refers to traditional knowledge passed orally within a group

Grammar Patterns

[culture] mythology

the mythology of [culture]

Usage Note

Often used with a cultural or geographical adjective such as Greek, Norse, or Hindu mythology. Can be countable when referring to specific bodies of stories, as in the mythologies of different peoples.

Common Mistakes

I studied Greek mythology history in school.
I studied Greek mythology in school.
mythology already includes the stories; adding 'history' is redundant.
The mythology of the ancient Greeks are fascinating.
The mythology of the ancient Greeks is fascinating.
mythology is uncountable and takes a singular verb in this sense.

2. a widespread belief that is accepted by many people despite being false or lacki

2.nounB2
Definition

a widespread belief that is accepted by many people despite being false or lacking evidence

Example

Tara explained that the right-brain creative type is a mythology without any scientific support.

that-clause: explain that + is a mythology

The old mythology that humans only use ten percent of their brains appears in movies and advertisements.

noun phrase: the mythology + that-clause

Common collocations
  • common mythology
  • popular mythology
  • debunk a mythology
  • perpetuate a mythology
  • the mythology surrounding
Synonyms
  • myth

    refers to a single false belief, while mythology often implies a collection or broader narrative

  • misconception

    more neutral and academic; does not imply the idea is widely shared

  • fallacy

    specifically a mistaken belief based on faulty reasoning; more formal

Antonyms
  • fact

    a statement that can be verified by evidence

Grammar Patterns

the mythology that + clause

a mythology about [topic]

Usage Note

Frequently appears in the pattern the mythology that + clause to name a specific false belief. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense applies to modern misconceptions, not traditional cultural stories.

Common Mistakes

The mythology that the earth is round has been proven.
The myth that the earth is flat has been proven wrong.
Use mythology for a system of false beliefs, not a single false idea; myth fits better for one claim.

3. the academic field that examines myths — their origins, meanings, and functions

3.nounC1
Definition

the academic field that examines myths — their origins, meanings, and functions within the cultures that created them

Example

Joon decided to study mythology at university because he loved ancient stories as a child.

collocation: study mythology

Élise is a professor of mythology who researches how ancient tales shape modern cultural identity.

collocation: professor of mythology

Common collocations
  • comparative mythology
  • professor of mythology
  • department of mythology
  • study mythology
Synonyms
  • comparative mythology

    a subfield that compares myths across different cultures; more specific

  • folklore studies

    a related but broader field that includes myths along with legends, fairy tales, and customs

Grammar Patterns

study mythology

a professor of mythology

comparative mythology

Usage Note

Uncountable noun that names the academic discipline, not the stories themselves. Frequently appears as an academic subject (a department of mythology, a course in mythology). Do not confuse with sense 1.

Common Mistakes

I am studying a mythology about Zeus.
I am studying mythology, focusing on the stories about Zeus.
As an academic field, mythology is uncountable and refers to the subject, not a single set of stories.

Word family

  • myth
    nounA2
  • mythical
    adjectiveB1
  • mythological
    adjectiveB2
  • mythic
    adjectiveC1
  • mythologize
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Mythology refers to a whole body or system of traditional stories shared by a culture, typically involving gods, heroes, and supernatural explanations of the world. Myth is the narrower term: one individual story. You study Norse mythology (the entire collection), but you retell a single myth about Thor's hammer. Folklore is a broader category that includes myths as well as fairy tales, jokes, songs, and customs passed down orally — it does not require a sacred or supernatural element. Legend describes semi-historical heroic tales that may contain some truth (e.g., the legend of King Arthur), whereas mythology includes stories about the origins of the world and the gods themselves. Tradition is the widest of the four: it covers any custom, belief, or practice handed down across generations, not just stories. For example, a family's Thanksgiving tradition is not a myth or a legend, but it is part of their tradition.

myth ↗folklore ↗legend ↗tradition ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Greek mythology
  • Roman mythology
  • Norse mythology
  • Hindu mythology
  • creation mythology
  • comparative mythology

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a body of mythology
  • the mythology that + clause
  • debunk a mythology
  • perpetuate a mythology

Prepositions

  • mythology of
  • mythology about
  • mythology surrounding
  • mythology from

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Mythology comes from the Greek mythos (story, tale) and -logia (study, discourse). It entered English through Latin (mythologia) and Old French (mythologie), first appearing in English in the early 15th century. The original sense was 'the study or interpretation of myths,' which later broadened to refer to the stories themselves.