Labyrinth or Maze

Although most usage treats the two terms as interchangeable, labyrinth and maze are, among the strictest enthusiasts, not synonymous. A maze is a pathfinding puzzle with loops and dead-ends; a labyrinth is a single, meandering path that leads the aspirant without difficulty from start to end. Commonly referred to as the classical or medieval labyrinth, the unicursal design has existed in coinage for over two thousand years and appears in medieval and Christian thought as a representation of the spiritual journey toward god. In most situations, you may comfortably treat the two terms as synonyms, but do so consistently, lest you wish to confuse your readers. Even the Minotaur’s Labyrinth, which may be responsible for the word’s popularity, was by description more of a maze than a classical labyrinth.