Polytheism
/ˌpɒl.ɪˈθiː.ɪ.zəm/noun
The belief in or worship of multiple deities.
Did you know?In ancient cultures, polytheism often served as a means to explain the chaos of life, with each god representing a different force of nature or aspect of human experience.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pólyi
“many”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πολυθεϊσμός (polytheismos)
“the belief in or worship of many deities, derived from 'poly' (many) and 'theos' (god).”
14th Century
Old French
politheisme
“a term borrowed to describe the belief system of multiple gods.”
17th Century
English
polytheism
“adopted into English from French, retaining the same meaning of belief in multiple gods.”
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