hagiography

noun

ha·​gi·​og·​ra·​phy ˌha-gē-ˈä-grə-fē How to pronounce hagiography (audio)
ˌhā-,
-jē-
1
: biography of saints or venerated persons
2
: idealizing or idolizing biography
an account that smacks of hagiography

Did you know?

Like biography and autograph, the word hagiography has to do with the written word. The combining form -graphy comes from Greek graphein, meaning "to write." Hagio- comes from a Greek word that means "saintly" or "holy." This origin is seen in Hagiographa, the Greek designation of the Ketuvim, the third part of the Jewish Scriptures. English's hagiography, though it can refer to biography of actual saints, is these days more often applied to biography that treats ordinary human subjects as if they were saints.

Examples of hagiography in a Sentence

a hagiography about a famous politician The book gives a good idea of his virtues without resorting to hagiography.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To further the hagiography, the script flubs its own plot points. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024 The hagiographies omit some key details about how the wolf got along. Steven Levy, WIRED, 16 Nov. 2020 But Francis of Assisi does have double vision, maneuvering constantly between hagiography and history, legend and fact, heaven and Earth, miracles and—what’s the opposite of miracles? James Parker, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025 Neither hagiography nor hatchet job, the movie casts an understanding eye on a once-infamous musical artist who weathered dizzying highs and devastating lows. Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hagiography 

Word History

Etymology

see Hagiographa

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hagiography was in 1821

Dictionary Entries Near hagiography

Cite this Entry

“Hagiography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hagiography. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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