Hagiography

//ˌhæɡiˈɒɡɹəfi// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The study of saints and the documentation of their lives. uncountable

    "The second half of the eleventh century saw a notable surge of interest in hagiography throughout England, which meant that many of the Anglo-Saxon saints of earlier eras were furnished, often for the first time, with a Latin Vita."

  2. 2
    a biography that idealizes or idolizes the person (especially a person who is a saint) wordnet
  3. 3
    A biography of a saint. countable
  4. 4
    A biography which expresses reverence and respect for its subject. broadly, countable

    "Churchill revisionism, of course, is almost as much of a cottage industry as Churchill hagiography."

  5. 5
    A biography which is uncritically supportive of its subject, often including embellishments or propaganda. countable, derogatory, uncountable

    "For an obsequious hagiography of [William] Byrd, see L. Wright 1940. For a more critical assessment, see Lockridge 1987, 1992."

Etymology

From hagio- + -graphy.

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