Standard Lemma guide

etymythology

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɛ.tɪ.mɪˈθɒl.ə.d͡ʒi/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɛ.tɪ.məˈθɒl.ə.d͡ʒi/
  • General-American: /ˌɛ.tə.mɪˈθɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/
  • General-American: /ˌɛ.tə.məˈθɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/
  • rhymes with -ɒlədʒi

1

noun

Meaning 1

A false etymology that has become widely disseminated and thus is commonly accepted as true; a folk etymology.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Blend of etymology + mythology. Though the term is modernly believed to be coined by linguist Laurence R. Horn in 2004, there are linguistic uses that go back to 1969 by Sean Valentine Golden.