demythologize

present singular third person demythologizes · participle present demythologizing · participle past demythologized · past demythologized · alternative demythologise

1. transitiveTo remove the mythological elements of.

   Near-synonym: euhemerize (demythologizing sense)

   3 more examples

   Archaeological evidence has demythologized some parts of the Bible.

   [commentating on "mother of all the living" in Gen. 3:20] A similar phrase is used to describe the mother goddess in ancient Near Eastern mythology. Here the image has been demythologized. It simply expresses the biblical concepts of one human race and of woman's primary role--motherhood.

   2001, David L. Lieber, Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 23

   However, the notion that an originally “mythological” figure has been “depotentized”, then variously “repotentized” or further “demythologized” by later, dependent authors, though the “mythological” understanding finally prevailed in later Jewish literature, does not sound entirely convincing.

   2012, Rebecca S. Watson, Chaos Uncreated

   Synonyms: demyth, euhemerize · Antonyms: mythologize, euhemerize