Monolatrism or
monolatry (
Greek: μόνος (
monos) = single, and λατρεία (
latreia) =
worship) is the recognition of the existence of many gods, but with the consistent worship of only one deity. The term was perhaps first used by
Julius Wellhausen.
Monolatry is distinguished from
monotheism, which asserts the existence of only one god, and
henotheism, a religious system in which the believer worships one god alone without denying that others may worship different gods with equal validity.