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mythicist

mythicist

1 9.6
A person who believes some famous leaders or religious figures did not really exist
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪθɪsɪst/
  • Specialized
: miticista
  • In debates about ancient history, the mythicist often argues that certain events are purely legendary.

Examples

  • Anyway, the blog author posted a piece of writing by an author he describes as a mythicist hero of his, and the piece just dripped with antisemitism; that was the nasty shock.

    Blog text (13)
  • So my question is, have you encountered racism among the atheist and mythicist communities you know, and if so, how do you deal with it?

    Blog text (13)
  • No, that doesn't mean he was wrong about the historicist/mythicist question.

    Blog text (13)
  • A mythicist believes that many historical figures, like Jesus, are not real but rather creations of mythology.

  • The author identifies as a mythicist, arguing that the stories of gods and heroes are based on imagination rather than actual events.

Antonyms

289 3.4

A person who studies and writes about past events

How Skeptical

skeptic
  • US
149 4.1
mythicist
  • Specialized
1 9.6
doubter
19 4.2
historicist
  • Specialized
1 8.9

Surface Forms

mythicist singular
mythicists plural

Morphology

mythicist = mythic (transparent) = myth + ic + ist

Formed from the adjective 'mythic' with the agentive suffix '-ist'; the agentive meaning is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

Mythicist comes from myth ('story') and the ending -ist ('person who'), like in artist or scientist. So a mythicist is someone who thinks some historical people or events are only 'stories' and not real things.