Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PANTHEON

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"PANTHEON" Meaning: The Pantheon in Rome, or any other physical pantheon, is a temple that's dedicated to all the gods of a particular religion. ("Pan-" means "all," and "theo" means "god," so "pantheon" literally means "all the gods.") More generally, a pantheon is a set of important people or things that are worshiped or treated with respect. Pronunciation: PAN thee on Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like “bottle,” “piece,” and “decision,” are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about “a bottle,” “three pieces,” and “many decisions.” Likewise, talk about one pantheon or multiple pantheons.) Other forms: pantheonic How to use it: You usually talk about "the pantheon of people/things" (or "a pantheon of people/things,") as in "the pantheon of American war heroes," "a pantheon of literary figures," "the pantheon of network television chefs," "a pantheon of democratic principles," "the pantheon of indispensable inventions," etc. But you don't have to stick to that phrase. Just talk about a pantheon, the pantheon, or somebody's/something's pantheon: "The right to speak your mind may be endlessly annoying to others, yet it holds in place in Americans' pantheon." From a disturbing documentary about backwards-thinking elected officials on a school board, I learned that some of our founding fathers are being removed from history textbooks, essentially uprooted from the national pantheon because their ideas are now deemed out of line. It's anyone's guess as to which new pop stars will take their place in the pantheon of musicians and which ones will fizzle into oblivion. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "pantheon" means when you can explain it without saying "a group of super-stars" or "an honorable assembly." Think of someone famous and accomplished, and fill in the blanks: "(Person's) place in the pantheon of _____ is well-deserved." Example: "Leonardo DiCaprio's place in the pantheon of actors is well-deserved." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: This month, challenge your powers of memory and recall (or just get ready to reign supreme on Wheel of Fortune) as we play with two-word phrases that you’ll find in a dictionary. We’ll start off with easy tasks and advance to harder ones as the month goes on. See the right answer to each question the following day. You might even see a new phrase that inspires your curiosity and makes you look it up. Have fun! (Note: Every dictionary recognizes a different set of two-word phrases. I used the OED to make these game questions.) Yesterday's question: What seven-letter word fits into each phrase below?  _______ childbirth _______ deduction _______ food _______ high _______ immunity _______ liberty _______ logarithm _______ number _______ park _______ resources _______ scale _______ state _______ wit Answer: natural. Try this one today: Without knowing how many letters the word has--what word fits into each phrase below?  ? address ? banking ? birth ? buyer ? circle ? comfort ? computer ? cooking ? country ? equity ? fries ? insurance ? loan ? ownership ? phone ? position ? remedy ? screen ? theatre ? truth A Point Well Made: Jenny Evans: “As the garden evolves, the gardener evolves.” 1. The opposite of PANTHEON is A. THE PROPHETS B. THE MASSES C. THE ANGELS 2. In the pantheon of poets, Edgar Allan Poe _____. A. reigns B. descends C. falters Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. A Exploring the archives: A pantheon is a godlike group of very important people or things. Which probably reminds you of our recent word "O_______," meaning "reminiscent of a certain mountain from Greek mythology: majestic or godlike in an impressive, larger-than-life way." Could you recall this proper adjective?