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DictionaryRoot: theos
Greek

theos

god, deity

Forms

  • the-
  • theo- — Combining form with a linking vowel.

Origin

Greek theos, ‘god’; its deeper ancestry is disputed.

Note

Greek theos and Latin deus are not usually traced to the same root.

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An ancient Greek worshipper presents an offering at a shared altar before three distinct deity statues: Zeus with a thunderbolt, Athena with helmet and shield, and Poseidon with a trident.
noun

polytheism

PAH-lee-thee-iz-um/ˈpɑːliθiɪzəm/

Belief in or worship of more than one god.

Etymology
polyGreekmany or much
+theGreekgod, deity
+ismEnglisha practice, system, process, or condition

The roots describe “many gods”; the ending makes this a name for a religious belief. Here “many” means more than one, without specifying a particular number of gods.

Full entry

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