Pantheion

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A structure or entity that embodies the qualities of the gods in various religions
2. A physical manifestation of divine presence that symbolizes universal spirituality
3. A collective representation of deities or sacred principles within a culture or belief system

Etymology: Before it named a collection of gods, the Greek "pantheion" named a building. As a neuter form of an adjective meaning "of all the gods," it became a noun for a shrine dedicated to every deity at once. The most famous surviving example is the domed temple in Rome, which still bears the name. The Greek is built from "pan," meaning "all," and "theos," meaning "god." The sense of a shrine for all the gods gradually gave way to the gods themselves, gathered together as one divine body. English took up this later sense as "pantheon."

Synonyms: pantheon