Definition of MYTH (original) (raw)
1
a
: a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon
2
a
: a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone
especially : one embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or segment of society
seduced by the American myth of individualism —
Orde Coombs
the utopian myth of a perfect society
b
: an unfounded or false notion
the myth of racial superiority
3
: a person or thing having only an imaginary or unverifiable existence
4
: the whole body of myths
Did you know?
For a word so often applied to events or stories from long, long ago, myth has a remarkably recent history in the English language. The earliest evidence for the word is from 1830, well after the time when the events themselves are thought to have occurred (though it should be noted that the related words mythology and mythic are hundreds of years older – still not as old as Achilles, but not young, either!). One application of myth, however – in the phrase urban myth – is quite new. Curiously, an urban myth does not usually have anything to do with the city: it is simply “a story about an unusual event or occurrence that many people believe is true but that is not true.” An example would be the tale that Elvis Presley is still alive after spending decades in a witness protection program. The phrase urban myth has been used to describe such hoaxes since at least 1971.
Synonyms
Examples of myth in a Sentence
It's an enduring myth that money brings happiness. I don't believe the myths and legends about this forest. Contrary to popular myth, no monster lives in this lake.
Recent Examples on the Web The suit alleges the company perpetuated the myth that plastics, particularly single-use plastics, are sustainable and recyclable, knowing this was false and that 95% of plastics end up in landfills. —Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2024 Russia fights only defensive wars, people assured themselves, a myth cultivated since Soviet times. —Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024 The myth of the Phillips curve as a trade off between unemployment and inflation was born during the ideological struggles of the 70s. —Vipin Bharathan, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024 Hadestown is based on the 2010 concept album adapting the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice by folk singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, who then went on to create the show’s music, lyrics and book. —Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for myth 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'myth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
earlier mythos, mythus, borrowed from Greek mŷthos "utterance, speech, discourse, tale, narrative, fiction, legend," of obscure origin
First Known Use
1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of myth was in 1830
Dictionary Entries Near myth
Cite this Entry
“Myth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myth. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
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Last Updated: 27 Sep 2024 - Updated example sentences
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