Polytheism
Etymology
From Greek "poly" (many) and "theos" (god). The compound came into modern European languages through French "polythéisme," used by the political philosopher Jean Bodin in the sixteenth century, and became standard vocabulary in the comparative study of religion.
noun · /POL-ee-thee-iz-uhm/
The belief in or worship of many gods.
What it names
A whole structure of religious belief — plural divinity — as a single category set against belief in one god or none.
Example
Ancient Greek polytheism assigned a different deity to the sea, the harvest, war, and love.
Related idea
Contrast with monotheism, belief in a single god. Distinguish also from a pantheon, which is the specific roster of gods a polytheistic culture recognizes — the cast, where polytheism is the belief system itself.