Myth and Misconception

Myth and Misconception Myth and Misconception Myth and Misconception By Maeve Maddox Phil Dragonetti writes: One of the things that bug me about English usage is the use of acute word instead of the proper word. One such cute word is myth[which] many use †¦ instead of the word misunderstanding or misconception I received this comment while I was writing a post for my teaching site. The headline Id given my article was The Myth of Make-up Work. Phils comment challenged me to see if I could come up with something else that would convey the same meaning. I changed it to No Such Thing as Make-up Work. The OED gives two general definitions of myth: myth: 1. A traditional story, typically involving supernatural beings or forces, which embodies and provides an explanation, aetiology, or justification for something such as the early history of a society, a religious belief or ritual, or a natural phenomenon.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2. A widespread but untrue or erroneous story or belief; a widely held misconception; a misrepresentation of the truth. Also: something existing only in myth; a fictitious or imaginary person or thing. Headline writers are not likely to abandon the use of such a useful word as myth: its short, it alliterates with a lot of common words, and it conveys a sense of something that is not true. This use of myth does seem to be applied to just about anything and everything: 10 Big Myths about copyright explained Ten Myths About Affirmative Action Top 10 Myths About Thanksgiving The Myth of Mental Illness The Myth of Alzheimers: What You Arent Being Told James Webb: Diversity and the Myth of White Privilege All About Digital Photos The Myth of DPI Myths about Pregnancy Myths about Aging Myths about Alcohol When Joseph Campbell called his book The Power of Myth, he wasnt thinking of untrue or erroneous beliefs. He was thinking of universal spiritual truths that shape our lives. Maybe it would make sense to lighten up on the use of myth as a synonym for mere error. Heres a selection of other words and terms that convey the sense of something that is not true, or not completely true: deceit deception delusion error fabrication false notion falsehood fiction flaw half truth illusion inconsistency invention lie misapprehension misconception mistake untruth   Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should KnowThat vs. WhichHow to Treat Names of Groups and Organizations