hagiography

noun

Definition of hagiographynext
as in biography
disapproving a book about someone's life that makes it seem better than it really is or was a hagiography of the leader written by one of his closest confidants

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hagiography Renzi didn’t approach the project as hagiography. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 June 2026 The current administration is engaged in an effort to bowdlerize American history, stripping away complexity in favor of easy myth and hagiography, not to mention the attempt to whitewash more recent events. — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026 Ferrer’s memoirs are nuanced and deeply insightful, if sometimes a little too close to hagiography. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026 Today’s stars go to war with haters, but Dylan takes aim at venerators, seeking to jam the gears of a hagiography machine that’s been clanking and wheezing since 1962. — New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hagiography
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hagiography
  1. biography
  2. memoir
Noun
  • The result is Citizen Kim, an authorized biography that took five years to report and write.
    — Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Musk previously ordered SpaceX engineers to shut off Starlink's satellite network over Crimea to thwart a Ukrainian attack on Russian warships, according to a chapter in the 2023 Musk biography written by Walter Isaacson.
    — Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of biography
Noun
  • Exactly what happened to the memoir, why Travolta abandoned it and what became of his advance remain a mystery.
    — Andy Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • None of the Gosselin siblings have made public statements following the release of Collin’s memoir.
    — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of memoir

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hagiographies
hagiography
hagridden
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Cite this Entry

“Hagiography.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hagiography. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hagiography

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hagiography

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