Pantheon
Etymology
From Greek “pantheion,” from “pan-” (all) plus “theos” (god) — a temple “of all the gods,” most famously the one in Rome. The word shifted from the building to the collective of gods it honored. A common figurative use now names an elite group, as in the pantheon of jazz greats.
noun · /PAN-thee-on/
The full set of gods recognized by a religion or culture, or a temple to all gods.
What it names
A tradition's roster of deities as a group — and, by extension, any collection of a field's most exalted figures.
Example
She earned a place in the pantheon of the sport, spoken of alongside names from decades before hers.
Related idea
A pantheon is the whole cast of gods; polytheism is the belief system — the worship of many gods — that populates one.
noun · /PAN-thee-on/
The group of the most famous or respected people in a field.
What it names
the roster of all-time greats.
Example
She joined the pantheon of Olympic legends.
Related idea
The assembly of gods reimagined as an assembly of the exalted.