polytheism
/ˈpɒlɪˌθiːɪz(ə)m
/noun [mass noun]
The belief in or worship of more than one god: the polytheism of the ancient Near East...
- He purges them of all traces of polytheism, idol worship and superstition and all that is associated with these rituals, habits and traditions which are unworthy of man.
- The nineteenth century notions of the evolution of religion from primitive animism to polytheism to monotheism have been falsified in tribe after tribe all over the world.
- To have your ultimate concern distributed in different directions is like polytheism - worship of many divinities.
Derivatives
polytheist
- Islam does condemn in the strongest terms the beliefs and the practices of the polytheists and the idol worshippers, but it nowhere permits a Muslim to deal arrogantly or unjustly with them.
- In their view, many people who claim to be monotheists are actually polytheists and idolaters.
- Their abattoirs employ machine slaughter wherever possible and do not hesitate to employ pagans and polytheists, e.g. Chinese, Koreans, etc. to carry our slaughter.
polytheistic
/ adjective ...- The religion of the mudang was polytheistic and somewhat animistic.
- An important point according to Avalos is that monotheistic religions offered fewer health-care options than polytheistic religions.
- Hinduism is both polytheistic and monotheistic.
Origin
Early 17th century: from French polythéisme, from Greek polutheos 'of many gods', from polu- 'many' + theos 'god'.