myth
pronunciation
How to pronounce myth in British English:
UK [mɪθ]
How to pronounce myth in American English:
US [mɪθ]
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- Noun:
- a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people
Word Origin
- myth (n.)
- 1830, from French Mythe (1818) and directly from Modern Latin mythus, from Greek mythos "speech, thought, story, myth, anything delivered by word of mouth," of unknown origin.Myths are "stories about divine beings, generally arranged in a coherent system; they are revered as true and sacred; they are endorsed by rulers and priests; and closely linked to religion. Once this link is broken, and the actors in the story are not regarded as gods but as human heroes, giants or fairies, it is no longer a myth but a folktale. Where the central actor is divine but the story is trivial ... the result is religious legend, not myth." [J. Simpson & S. Roud, "Dictionary of English Folklore," Oxford, 2000, p.254]General sense of "untrue story, rumor" is from 1840.
Example
- 1. This healthy balance-sheet myth helps sell stocks and bonds .
- 2. I thought that was a myth .
- 3. The paperless society is a myth .
- 4. This is an urban myth .
- 5. But real research busts this myth .