Euhemerism
//juˈhiməˌɹɪzəm// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The belief that legends and mythology arise from exaggerated descriptions of historical people and events. uncountable, usually
"In regard to the Thracian god Zalmosis, the Hellespontic Greeks interpreted his character and attributes according to the scheme of Euemerism."
Example
More examples"In regard to the Thracian god Zalmosis, the Hellespontic Greeks interpreted his character and attributes according to the scheme of Euemerism."
Etymology
From Euhemerus + -ism, ultimately from Latin Euhēmerus, from Ancient Greek Εὐήμερος (Euḗmeros), an ancient Greek Sicilian Skeptic who proposed most or all mythology derived from historical figures and natural events which received supernatural characteristics only through retelling.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.