myth

idée reçue, mythe

Idée que beaucoup de personnes croient vraie alors qu’elle est fausse.

En anglais simple : Something many people believe, although it is not true.

• That health claim is a myth.
• The study challenged several popular myths about sleep.
• Is it a myth that carrots improve night vision?

Comment l'utiliser : the myth that… (The teacher challenged the myth that boys are better at maths.)

Synonymes : misconception, fallacy

Contraires : fact

Expressions courantes : common myth, debunk a myth, dispel a myth, popular myth

mythe

Ancien récit traditionnel sur les dieux, les héros ou l’origine du monde.

En anglais simple : An old traditional story about gods, heroes, or how the world began.

• We read a Greek myth at school.
• These myths describe the creation of the world.
• Which god appears in that myth?

Synonymes : legend

Expressions courantes : greek myth, ancient myth, creation myth

invention, fiction

Histoire ou idée inventée par quelqu’un et qui n’est pas vraie.

En anglais simple : A story or idea that someone has invented and that is not true.

• His account of the rescue is pure myth.
• She built a myth around her mysterious past.
• The missing treasure turned out to be a myth.

Synonymes : fiction, invention, fabrication

Contraires : fact

Expressions courantes : pure myth, complete myth, invent a myth

mythologie

Récits traditionnels sur les dieux et les héros, considérés ensemble comme un genre narratif.

En anglais simple : Traditional stories about gods and heroes, considered together as a type of storytelling.

• The course explores myth and religion.
• Myth often explains a culture’s values.
• She studies the role of myth in literature.

Synonymes : mythology

Expressions courantes : myth and folklore, study of myth, myth and ritual