apocrypha

[ uh-pok-ruh-fuh ]

/ əˈpɒk rə fə /

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noun (often used with a singular verb)

(initial capital letter) a group of 14 books, not considered canonical, included in the Septuagint and the Vulgate as part of the Old Testament, but usually omitted from Protestant editions of the Bible.

various religious writings of uncertain origin regarded by some as inspired, but rejected by most authorities.

writings, statements, etc., of doubtful authorship or authenticity.Compare canon¹ (defs. 6, 7, 9).

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of apocrypha

1350–1400; Middle English <Late Latin <Greek, neuter plural of apókryphos hidden, unknown, spurious, equivalent to apokryph- (base of apokrýptein to hide away; see apo-, crypt) + -os adj. suffix

Words nearby apocrypha

apochromat, apochromatic, apocopate, apocope, apocrine, apocrypha, apocryphal, Apocryphal Gospels, apocynaceous, apocynthion, apodal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use apocrypha in a sentence

What was new to them was not the fact of the assumption but the detailed incidents with which the Apocrypha embroidered it.
Our Lady Saint Mary|J. G. H. Barry
In 1879 the Bishop went up the river to Wuchang, and began the translation of the Apocrypha.
Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ|Rev. A. Bernstein, B.D.
The Prophets, the Hagiographa, and the Apocrypha were translated at various times during the succeeding three hundred years.
The Bible|John E. Remsburg
In the Apocrypha the animal itself, and its use in war, is mentioned; in the old Sanscrit writings it frequently appears.
Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon|Robert A. Sterndale

Regarding these Apocrypha the attitude of the church changed a good deal during our period.
The Influence of the Bible on Civilisation|Ernst Von Dobschutz

British Dictionary definitions for apocrypha

Apocrypha

/ (əˈpɒkrɪfə) /

noun the Apocrypha (functioning as singular or plural)

the 14 books included as an appendix to the Old Testament in the Septuagint and the Vulgate but not included in the Hebrew canon. They are not printed in Protestant versions of the Bible

RC Church another name for the Pseudepigrapha

Word Origin for Apocrypha

C14: via Late Latin apocrypha (scripta) hidden (writings), from Greek, from apokruptein to hide away

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for apocrypha

Apocrypha

[ (uh-pok-ruh-fuh) ]

Religious writings that have been accepted as books of the Bible (see also Bible) by some groups but not by others. The Roman Catholic Church, for example, includes seven books, such as Judith, I and II Maccabees, and Ecclesiasticus, in the Old Testament that Jews (see also Jews) and Protestants do not consider part of the Bible. Some churches may read the Apocrypha for inspiration but not to establish religious doctrine.

notes for Apocrypha

By extension, an “apocryphal” story is one that is probably false but nevertheless has some value.