Adjacent Words

Polytheism definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

POL'YTHEISM, n. [Gr. many and God.] The doctrine of a plurality of gods or invisible beings superior to man, and having an agency in the government of the world.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: belief in multiple Gods [ant: monotheism]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: French polytheisme, from Late Greek polytheos polytheistic, from Greek, of many gods, from poly- + theos god Date: 1613 belief in or worship of more than one god • polytheist adjective or noun • polytheistic also polytheistical adjective

Britannica Concise

Belief in many gods. Though Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic (see monotheism), most other religions throughout history have been polytheistic. The numerous gods may be dominated by a supreme god or by a small group of powerful gods. The gods originated as abstractions of the forces of nature such as the sky or the sea and of human and social functions such as love, war, marriage, or the arts. In many religions the sky god is powerful and all-knowing (e.g., Dievs), and the earth goddess is maternal and associated with fertility. Gods of death and the underworld (e.g., Osiris and Hel) are also important. In addition to many gods, polytheistic religions generally also include malevolent or benevolent spiritual forces or powers. See also god and goddess.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. the belief in or worship of more than one god. Derivatives: polytheist n. polytheistic adj. Etymology: F polythéisme f. Gk polutheos of many gods (as POLY-(1), theos god)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Polytheism Pol"y*the*ism, n. [Poly- + Gr. ? cf. F. polyth['e]isme.] The doctrine of, or belief in, a plurality of gods. In the Old Testament, the gradual development of polytheism from the primitive monotheism may be learned. --Shaff-Herzog.

Moby Thesaurus

acosmism, allotheism, anthropolatry, anthropomorphism, anthropotheism, autotheism, cosmotheism, deism, ditheism, dualism, dyotheism, henotheism, hylotheism, monolatry, monotheism, multitheism, myriotheism, pantheism, physicomorphism, physitheism, psychotheism, tetratheism, theism, theopantism, theriotheism, tritheism, zootheism