mythomania

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 12, 2020 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>mythomania</strong> &#149; \mith-uh-MAY-nee-uh\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p><strong>:</strong> an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying and exaggerating</p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>The idea of trust is an important theme in the book; the reader is never sure of the extent of the protagonist's <em>mythomania</em>.</p> <p>"It is hard to differentiate between habitual lying and <em>mythomania</em> because some people engage in telling <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20lie">white lies</a> to avoid hurting others' feelings. The pathological liar, by contrast, cannot help lying, even when the lie causes harm." — Gloria Wall, <em>Journal Review</em> (Crawfordsville, Indiana), 27 Apr. 2020</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>We wouldn't lie to you about the history of <em>mythomania</em>. It comes, via the French <em>mythomanie</em>, from two ancient roots: the Greek <em>mŷthos</em> (meaning "myth") and the Late Latin <em>mania</em> (meaning "insanity marked by uncontrolled emotion or excitement"). One myth about <em>mythomania</em> is that it's a very old word; actually, the earliest known uses of the term date only from the beginning of the 20th century. It was predated by a related word, <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mythomaniac">mythomaniac</a></em>, which appeared around the middle of the 19th century. <em>Mythomaniac</em> referred to someone who was obsessed with or passionate about <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myth">myths</a> before it was applied to individuals affected with or exhibiting mythomania.</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>