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polytheist

polytheist

1 7.4
A person who believes in or worships many gods
  • noun
  • /ˈpɑːliˌθiːɪst/
translation icon : politeísta
  • I'm a devotional/traditional Hellenic Polytheist, but unlike most traditional Hellenists, I'm following Boeotian traditions rather than Attic traditions.
  • polytheists and Jews

Atheist monotheist polytheist with with God, right, like no gods, one God, many gods, right.

Examples

  • As a polytheist, she believes that each god controls different aspects of life.

  • A polytheist to its absolute extreme, but not an atheist.

    Blog text (27)
  • And the significance was this polytheist took the spirit out of the individual objects.

  • Well, it's not Christian; it's polytheist where Willard becomes a god of his own planet.

    Blog text (4)
  • Anyway, at the time, I was pretty strongly involved in my identity as a polytheist or pagan.

    Blog text (22)
  • And what about the polytheists?

    Blog text (22)
  • When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action.

    Blog text (12)
  • Prime among these, and oft decried by the founders of the Salafi movement, are polytheist practices such as the veneration of popular or auspicious shrines.

    Academic text (2007)
  • He identifies as a polytheist, honoring various deities from different cultures.

  • Many polytheists celebrate different festivals dedicated to their numerous gods.

Synonyms

pagan
vspolytheist
29 6.7

A person who follows an older religion with many gods, not Christianity, Judaism, or Islam

focuses on belief in several gods rather than belonging to a tradition
tritheist
vspolytheist
  • Specialized
9.9

A person who believes the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate gods instead of one

is a general belief in multiple gods, not the specific Trinity view

Antonyms

1 6.1

A person who believes there is only one God

How Many Gods

polytheist
1 7.4
tritheist
  • Specialized
9.9
monotheist
1 6.1
atheist
428 4.1

Surface Forms

polytheist singular
polytheists plural

Morphology

polytheist = theist (transparent) = poly + theist

The word is a straightforward prefixation of poly- 'many' to the base word theist, so the meaning is easily recoverable.

Etymology

Polytheist comes from Greek parts poly- 'many' and theos 'god', the same theo you see in theology. So a polytheist is a person who believes in 'many gods'.