English Reference

Word

pantheon

Phoneticspan·theon

US/ˈpænθiˌɑn/

UK/pˈɑːnθɪən/

Definitions

01the Roman temple

B2

n. the famous circular temple in Rome built for all the gods.

n. the specific circular Roman temple dedicated to all the gods in 27 BCE and rebuilt around 125 CE.

“We visited the Pantheon in Rome to see the light coming through the roof.”

“The Pantheon remains one of the best-preserved monuments of ancient Rome, renowned for its massive concrete dome and central oculus.”

02a group of gods

C1 · Religion

n. all the gods of a specific religion or culture.

n. the collective set of deities belonging to a particular mythology or religion.

“Zeus was the most powerful god in the Greek pantheon.”

“Scholars often compare the Norse pantheon with the deities of ancient Egypt to find common mythological themes.”

Academic

Synonyms

03honoured people

C1

n. a group of people who are the most famous or respected in their field.

n. a metaphorical group or classification consisting of the most illustrious or highly regarded individuals in a specific category.

“She has earned her place in the pantheon of great jazz singers.”

“The author's latest novel secures his position within the pantheon of twentieth-century literary giants.”

Formal

Synonyms

elitehall of fame

Real-World Examples

“Through his green imagery, Kunial is in conversation with William Wordsworth, John Clare and Edmund Spenser—a pantheon of English pastoral through the centuries.”
Phys.org · 20 Aug 2026
“With his pace, allied to phenomenal shooting power with either foot Milburn rightly takes his place in the Newcastle pantheon.”
The Guardian · 7 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Latin Pantheon, from Ancient Greek Πάνθειον (Pántheion, “a temple of all gods”), neuter of πάνθειος (pántheios, “of or common to all gods”), from παν- (pan-, “all, everything”) + θεῖος (theîos, “of or for the gods”), from θεός (theós, “god”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domains

MythologyReligion

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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