Word.ws English Dictionary

euhemerize

UK/juːˈhiːməˌɹaɪz//juˈhiməˌɹaɪz/

euhemerize verb: to invent a plausible but fanciful historical origin for something in order to rationalize mythology and legends.

Verb

euhemerize (third-person singular simple present euhemerizes, present participle euhemerizing, simple past and past participle euhemerized)

  1. (ambitransitive, derogatory) To invent a plausible but fanciful historical origin for something in order to rationalize mythology and legends.
    • Near-synonyms: demythologize (sometimes synonymous), undeify (synonymous when personages are the direct objects)
    • Confucian scholars frequently euhemerized the myths used to explain religious rituals to the public.
    Synonyms:
    demythologize, undeify[personage]]s are the direct objects>, rationalize
  2. (ambitransitive) To create mythology and legends from ancient historical figures and events.
    • Near-synonym: deify (synonymous when personages are the direct objects)
    • The Yellow Emperor was perhaps euhemerized from a prehistoric tribal leader.
    Synonyms:
    mythologize, deify[personage]]s are the direct objects>

Synonyms of euhemerize

All synonyms of euhemerize

Forms of euhemerize

third-person singular presenteuhemerizes
present participleeuhemerizing
past participleeuhemerized
pasteuhemerized
alternative UKeuhemerise

Origin of euhemerize

From euhemerism + -ize, 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.

Words formed from euhemerize

Questions about euhemerize

What does euhemerize mean?
Euhemerize means to invent a plausible but fanciful historical origin for something in order to rationalize mythology and legends.
What part of speech is euhemerize?
Euhemerize is a verb.
How do you pronounce euhemerize?
Euhemerize is pronounced /juˈhiməˌɹaɪz/ (US).
What is the past tense of euhemerize?
The past tense of euhemerize is euhemerized.

Words near euhemerize in the dictionary

  1. euhemeristic
  2. euhemeristically
  3. euhemerists
  4. euhemerization
  5. euhemerizations
  6. euhemerize
  7. euhemerized
  8. euhemerizes
  9. euhemerizing
  10. Euhemeros
  11. Euhemerus

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: euhemerize (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-euhemerize.wav.

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