henotheism

/ˌhɛnoʊˈθiːɪzəm/
noun
  1. Belief in one god without denying the existence of other gods, often worshiping one god as supreme.
    • The concept of henotheism helps explain how polytheistic cultures sometimes focused on a single deity.
    • Henotheism was common in ancient religions where a tribe worshiped its own chief god but acknowledged other gods existed.
    • Some scholars see early Hinduism as an example of henotheism, with gods like Indra or Agni taking turns as supreme.
Synonyms