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Glite Dictionary
henotheistic

henotheistic

9.9
Worshipping one main god while accepting other gods
  • adjective
  • /ˌhɛnəθiˈɪstɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : henoteísta
  • The henotheistic nature of some polytheistic religions allows followers to focus on one main deity while still recognizing additional gods.

Examples

  • In many ancient cultures, people practiced henotheistic beliefs by worshipping a single god while acknowledging the existence of others.

  • But Yahweh was a sky god among others until the monotheistic concept supplanted the henotheistic.

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  • Historians study how henotheistic practices influenced the development of monotheism in various societies around the world.

Surface Forms

henotheistic positive

Morphology

henotheistic = henotheism (semi-transparent) = heno + theism + ic

Formed from the technical noun 'henotheism' plus the productive adjectival suffix '-ic'; 'theism' signals belief in gods but the combining form 'heno-' (one) is rare and the whole term is specialist vocabulary.

Etymology

Henotheistic comes from the Greek parts hen meaning 'one' and theos meaning 'god'. So a henotheistic belief worships one main god while still accepting other gods, placing it between monotheistic ('one god') and polytheistic ('many gods').