anthropolatry: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Extremely rare (C2+)Formal, academic, theological
Quick answer
What does “anthropolatry” mean?
The worship of a human being as a god.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The worship of a human being as a god; deification of a person.
Excessive admiration or veneration of a human figure, especially in a religious, political, or cultural context.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Scholarly, often pejorative. Used in critical discourse about cults of personality, certain historical religious movements, or extreme hero-worship.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both dialects, confined to specialized theological, historical, or sociological texts.
Grammar
How to Use “anthropolatry” in a Sentence
[Subject] engages in anthropolatry.The [noun phrase] was a clear case of anthropolatry.They accused the cult of anthropolatry.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “anthropolatry” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The sect was accused of anthropolatrising its founder.
- They anthropolatrise their political leader.
American English
- The movement was accused of anthropolatrizing its leader.
- Fans sometimes anthropolatrise their favourite celebrities.
adverb
British English
- The crowd behaved almost anthropolatrically towards the speaker.
American English
- They followed him anthropolatrically, hanging on his every word.
adjective
British English
- The anthropolatric tendencies of the group were concerning.
- He wrote a paper on anthropolatric practices in antiquity.
American English
- The anthropolatric nature of the cult was evident.
- Scholars study anthropolatric rituals.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used. Potential metaphorical use in criticising excessive CEO worship.
Academic
Used in religious studies, history, and sociology to describe phenomena like emperor worship or cults of personality.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
A precise term in theology for the heretical worship of humans.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “anthropolatry”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “anthropolatry”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “anthropolatry”
- Mispronunciation: stressing the wrong syllable (e.g., an-THRO-po-la-try).
- Confusing with 'anthropology' or 'misanthrope'.
- Using it in a positive sense.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an extremely rare, scholarly word used primarily in academic or theological contexts.
Almost never. It is typically used as a term of criticism or analysis by outsiders to describe what they see as a mistaken or excessive veneration.
Idolatry is the worship of idols or images, which may represent gods, concepts, or humans. Anthropolatry is a specific subtype: the worship of a human being *as* a god.
Yes, though very rare. You might see 'anthropolatrise' (UK) or 'anthropolatrize' (US), meaning 'to practice anthropolatry' or 'to deify a human'.
The worship of a human being as a god.
Anthropolatry is usually formal, academic, theological in register.
Anthropolatry: in British English it is pronounced /ˌænθrəˈpɒlətri/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌænθrəˈpɑːlətri/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
ANTHROPoLATRY: Remember 'ANTHROPO' (human, as in anthropology) + 'LATRY' (worship, as in idolatry). It's the worship of humans.
Conceptual Metaphor
HUMAN IS A GOD (erroneously).
Practice
Quiz
What is the core meaning of 'anthropolatry'?