mythos

noun

my·​thos ˈmi-ˌthōs How to pronounce mythos (audio)
-ˌthäs
plural mythoi ˈmi-ˌthȯi How to pronounce mythos (audio)
1
2
: a pattern of beliefs expressing often symbolically the characteristic or prevalent attitudes in a group or culture
3
: theme, plot
the starving artist mythos

Examples of mythos in a Sentence

according to one creation mythos, humans sprang from the forehead of a god the Superman mythos has long since become ingrained in popular American culture
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Soon to become both a live-action movie and a video game, The Last Ronin has taken on a life of its own among TMNT mythos. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 31 Dec. 2024 Trump’s move likely has another motivation related to his competitive nature and disdain for the Obama mythos. Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 29 Jan. 2025 Though the series was canceled after its second season, Lynch explored its characters and mythos further with the 1992 prequel film Fire Walk With Me, as well as a Showtime revival in 2017. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2025 The company also tries to instill the creepy mythos of Lumon and its founder Kier Egan into its employees, turning some of them into something like corporate-religious zealots. Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 15 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mythos

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek mŷthos "utterance, speech, discourse, tale, narrative, fiction, legend," of obscure origin

First Known Use

1753, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of mythos was in 1753

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Cite this Entry

“Mythos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mythos. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

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