hagiology

[ hag-ee-ol-uh-jee, hey-jee- ]

/ ˌhæg iˈɒl ə dʒi, ˌheɪ dʒi- /

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noun, plural hag·i·ol·o·gies for 2, 3.

the branch of literature dealing with the lives and legends of the saints.

a biography or narrative of a saint or saints.

a collection of such biographies or narratives.

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Origin of hagiology

First recorded in 1800–10; hagio- + -logy

OTHER WORDS FROM hagiology

hag·i·o·log·ic

[hag-ee-uh-loj-ik, hey-jee-], /ˌhæg i əˈlɒdʒ ɪk, ˌheɪ dʒi-/, hag·i·o·log·i·cal, adjectivehag·i·ol·o·gist, noun

Words nearby hagiology

hagiocracy, Hagiographa, hagiographer, hagiography, hagiolatry, hagiology, hagioscope, Hagler, hagridden, hagride, Hague

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hagiology in a sentence

There is no doubt that the saints of Irish origin supply by far the more important portion of our hagiology.
The Book-Hunter|John Hill Burton
The composition seems to be intended as a satire on the monks, and in particular as a travesty of medieval hagiology.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5|Various
She appears constantly in Gaelic hagiology, and with poetic as well as saintly fame casting a halo about her yellow hair.
Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. VIII|Various
There are some, like a lady I once knew, who think that hagiology is the scientific study of hags.
Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens|G. K. Chesterton

He was speaking of the New Testament, and he said, The truth was in it; but they had covered it up with their hagiology.
Literary Friends And Acquaintances|William Dean Howells

British Dictionary definitions for hagiology

hagiology

/ (ˌhæɡɪˈɒlədʒɪ) /

noun plural -gies

literature concerned with the lives and legends of saints

a biography of a saint
a collection of such biographies

an authoritative canon of saints

a history of sacred writings

Derived forms of hagiology

hagiologic (ˌhæɡɪəˈlɒdʒɪk) or hagiological, adjectivehagiologist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012