polytheism

P3O1L1Y4T1H4E1I1S1M3
/pɒl.ɪˈθiː.ɪz.əm/

noun

The belief in the existence of multiple gods.

Opposite
monotheism
OriginFrench polythéisme ← Ancient Greek θεός (theós) ← Proto-Hellenic *tʰehós →
UncommonScrabble 20
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Meanings

nounpolytheism (countable and uncountable, plural polytheisms)

plural polytheisms

  1. countableuncountableThe belief in the existence of multiple gods.

    And remember when Lokmân said unto his son, as he admonished him, Oh my son, give not a partner unto GOD; for polytheism is a great impiety.

    1734, George Sale, transl., Alcoran of Mohammed
  2. countableuncountableA religion or belief system with multiple gods.

    The Chaldeans worshipped the seven planets. These seven planets were the "Seven Great Gods" of the ancients, and constituted a polytheism, the component members of which varied in importance, with the moon occupying the premier position.

    1941, George Ryley Scott, Phallic Worship: A History of Sex and Sex Rites in Relation to the Religions of All Races from Antiquity to the Present Day, London: T. Werner Laurie, page 14

Synonyms & antonyms

nounbelief in multiple Gods

Opposite
monotheism
Broader
theism

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*polh₁ús
  3. Ancient Greekπολύς (polús)
  4. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*dʰéh₁s
  6. Proto-Indo-European*dʰh₁sós
  7. Proto-Hellenic*tʰehós
  8. Ancient Greekθεός (theós)
  9. Frenchpolythéisme
  10. Englishpolytheism

From French polythéisme, from Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many”) and θεός (theós, “god”), corresponding to poly- + theism.

More words from French, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic شِرْك, تَعَدُّد الْآلِهَة
  • شِرْك (širk)belief in the existence of multiple gods
  • تَعَدُّد الْآلِهَة (taʕaddud al-ʔāliha)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Bengali বহুঈশ্বরবাদ
  • বহুঈশ্বরবাদ (bohuiśśorbad)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Bulgarian политеи́зъм, многобожие
  • политеи́зъм (politeízăm)belief in the existence of multiple gods
  • многобожие (mnogobožie)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Catalan politeisme
  • politeismebelief in the existence of multiple gods
Chinese Cantonese 多神教
  • 多神教 (do¹ san⁴ gaau³)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Chinese Mandarin 多神教
  • 多神教 (duōshénjiào)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Czech polyteismus, mnohobožství
  • polyteismusbelief in the existence of multiple gods
  • mnohobožstvíbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Danish polyteisme
  • polyteismebelief in the existence of multiple gods
Dutch polytheïsme
  • polytheïsmebelief in the existence of multiple gods
Esperanto politeismo
  • politeismobelief in the existence of multiple gods
Estonian polüteism
  • polüteismbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Finnish monijumalisuus, polyteismi
  • monijumalisuusbelief in the existence of multiple gods
  • polyteismibelief in the existence of multiple gods
French polythéisme
  • polythéismebelief in the existence of multiple gods
German Polytheismus
  • Polytheismusbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Greek πολυθεϊσμός
  • πολυθεϊσμός (polytheïsmós)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Hebrew פוליתאיזם
  • פוליתאיזםbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Hindi बहुदेववाद
  • बहुदेववाद (bahudevvād)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Hungarian politeizmus
  • politeizmusbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Icelandic fjölgyðistrú
  • fjölgyðistrúbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Indonesian politeisme
  • politeismebelief in the existence of multiple gods
Irish ildiachas
  • ildiachasbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Italian politeismo
  • politeismobelief in the existence of multiple gods
Japanese 多神教
  • 多神教 (tashinkyō)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Korean 다신교, 다신론
  • 다신교 (dasin'gyo)belief in the existence of multiple gods
  • 다신론 (dasillon)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Latin polytheismus
  • polytheismusbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Latvian politeisms
  • politeismsbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Lithuanian politeizmas
  • politeizmasbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Persian چندخدایی, شرک
  • چندخدایی (čand-xodâyi)belief in the existence of multiple gods
  • شرک (šerk)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Polish politeizm, wielobóstwo
  • politeizmbelief in the existence of multiple gods
  • wielobóstwobelief in the existence of multiple gods
Portuguese politeísmo
  • politeísmobelief in the existence of multiple gods
Romanian politeism
  • politeismbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Russian политеи́зм, многобо́жие
  • политеи́зм (politɛízm)belief in the existence of multiple gods
  • многобо́жие (mnogobóžije)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Scottish Gaelic ioma-dhiadhachd
  • ioma-dhiadhachdbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Slovak mnohobožstvo, polyteizmus
  • mnohobožstvobelief in the existence of multiple gods
  • polyteizmusbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Spanish politeísmo
  • politeísmobelief in the existence of multiple gods
Swahili upolitheisti, ushirikina
  • upolitheistibelief in the existence of multiple gods
  • ushirikinabelief in the existence of multiple gods
Swedish polyteism
  • polyteismbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Thai พหุเทวนิยม
  • พหุเทวนิยม (pá-hù tay-wá-ní-yom)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Turkish politeizm, çoktanrıcılık
  • politeizmbelief in the existence of multiple gods
  • çoktanrıcılıkbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Ukrainian політеї́зм, багатобо́жжя
  • політеї́зм (politejízm)belief in the existence of multiple gods
  • багатобо́жжя (bahatobóžžja)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Urdu شرک, کثرت پرستی
  • شرک (širk)belief in the existence of multiple gods
  • کثرت پرستی (kasrat parastī)belief in the existence of multiple gods
Vietnamese thuyết đa thần
  • thuyết đa thầnbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Welsh amldduwiaeth
  • amldduwiaethbelief in the existence of multiple gods
Yiddish פּאַליטייזאַם
  • פּאַליטייזאַם (paliteyzam)belief in the existence of multiple gods

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

polyethism
Cite this entry
APA

polytheism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polytheism

MLA

“polytheism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polytheism. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “polytheism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polytheism.

Source: polytheism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.