monolatry

English

Etymology

From mono- +‎ -latry.

Noun

monolatry (countable and uncountable, plural monolatries)

1. A belief system with one god who can take on multiple faces (the One and the Many). Coined by Egyptologist Erik Hornung in his book Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: The One and the Many to characterise Kemetic religions (northern Egypt; Nile delta).
2. The worship of a single deity (possibly while believing in the existence of others).

Synonyms

• monolatrism

Related terms

• monolater / monolatrist
• monolatrous

Translations

worship of only one deity

• Japanese: 拝一神教 (はいいっしんきょう, hai-isshinkyō), 一神崇拝 (いっしんすうはい, isshin-sūhai)
• Swedish: monolatri c