# mythology

/məˈθɑɫəˌdʒi/ (US) · /mɪθˈɒlədʒi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mythology
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. traditional cultural stories

noun · CEFR B2

the ancient stories of a particular group of people, often about their gods, heroes, and how the world began.

For teachers: the body of myths belonging to a specific culture or people, typically concerning deities, origins, and heroic figures.

- In Greek mythology, Zeus is the king of all the gods on Mount Olympus.
- The professor argued that Norse mythology provides a unique window into the social values and environmental fears of early Scandinavian societies.

### 2. false beliefs or misconceptions

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

a set of ideas or beliefs about something that many people think are true, but are actually false.

For teachers: a collection of widely held but false beliefs or misconceptions surrounding a particular subject, person, or historical event.

- The book tries to challenge the mythology that success only comes from hard work.
- The documentary successfully deconstructed the mythology surrounding the billionaire's early career, revealing a series of fortunate accidents rather than pure genius.

### 3. fictional world-building

noun · CEFR B2

the background stories and history created for a fictional world in a book or movie.

For teachers: the internal lore and established history of a fictional universe, often used to provide depth to a narrative franchise.

- Fans of the series love discussing the complex mythology of the alien planets.
- The writers spent years developing a consistent mythology for the fantasy realm, ensuring every magical rule had a historical precedent.

### 4. the study of myths

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

the academic study of myths and their meanings.

For teachers: the systematic collection, categorization, and analysis of myths as a field of study.

- She decided to take a course in mythology to understand ancient art better.
- Comparative mythology allows researchers to identify recurring motifs that appear across geographically isolated civilisations.

## Examples

- Greek mythology features many powerful gods and goddesses.
- Students in the literature class compared the creation stories found in Norse mythology with those from ancient Egypt.
- The author draws heavily from Celtic mythology to construct a secondary world that feels both ancient and internally consistent, grounding the fantasy elements in established folklore.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.