A myth is a traditional story that may have factual origins or be completely fictional. Myths are often associated with religious beliefs and are used to explain the world and mans experience. They are sacred tales that provide a pattern of behavior to be imitated and establish the sanctity of cult. Myths are also instructive and act as a guide to social norms, taking on cultural taboos such as incest, fratricide, and greed. They are as relevant today as they were to the ancients, answering timeless questions and serving as a compass to each generation. Myths reflect the universal concerns of mankind throughout history, such as birth, death, the afterlife, the origin of man and the world, good and evil, and the nature of man himself.

Myths are not always optimistic, and the essence of myths is such that they are as often warnings as promises, as often laments as celebrations. They are a form of understanding and telling stories that are based on a universal cultural narrative, the collective wisdom of man. Myths are also pervasive in the arts and advertising, as advertising uses visual metaphors to speak to us, and artists of every generation reinterpret myths.

The word "myth" derives from the Greek "mythos," which has a range of meanings from "word," through "saying" and "story," to "fiction". Because myths narrate fantastic events with no attempt at proof, it is sometimes assumed that they are simply stories with no factual basis, and the word has become a synonym for falsehood or, at best, misconception. However, every myth presents itself as an authoritative, factual account, no matter how much the narrated events are at variance with natural law or ordinary experience.

In colloquial use, "myth" can also be used of a collectively held belief that has no basis in fact or any false story. This usage, which is often pejorative, arose from labeling the religious myths and beliefs of other cultures as incorrect, but it has spread to cover non-religious beliefs as well.