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
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General-American:/juˈhiməˌɹɪzəm/
Received-Pronunciation:/juːˈhiːməˌɹɪzəm/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The belief that legends and mythology arise from exaggerated descriptions of historical people and events.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Euhemerus + -ism, ultimately from Latin Euhēmerus, from Ancient Greek Εὐήμερος (Euḗmeros), an ancient Greek Sicilian Skeptic who proposed most or all mythology derived from historical figures and natural events which received supernatural characteristics only through retelling.
Across languages
Translations
24 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
يُوهَيْمِرِيَّة
(yūhaymiriyya)
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Armenian:
էվգեմերիզմ
(ēvgemerizm)
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Danish:
euhemerisme
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Esperanto:
evemerismo
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Esperanto:
eŭhemerismo
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Finnish:
euhemerismi
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
French:
évhémérisme
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Greek:
ευημερισμός
(evimerismós)
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Ido:
euhemerismo
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Italian:
evemerismo
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Japanese:
エウヘメリズム
(euhemerizumu)
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Kyrgyz:
евгемеризм
(yevgemerizm)
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Latin:
euhemerismus
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Norwegian Bokmål:
euhemerisme
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Norwegian Nynorsk:
euhemerisme
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Polish:
euhemeryzm
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Portuguese:
evemerismo
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Romanian:
euhemerism
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Russian:
эвгемери́зм
(evgemerízm)
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Serbo-Croatian:
еухемеризам
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Serbo-Croatian:
euhemerizam
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Spanish:
evemerismo
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Swedish:
euhemerism
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
Ukrainian:
евгемери́зм
(evhemerýzm)
— attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends
