apocryphal

[uh-pok-ruh-fuhl]

adjective

1. of doubtful authorship or authenticity.

2. Ecclesiastical.

   1. (initial capital letter),  of or relating to the Apocrypha.

   2. of doubtful sanction; uncanonical.

3. false; spurious.

   He told an apocryphal story about the sword, but the truth was later revealed.

apocryphal

/ əˈpɒkrɪfəl /

adjective

1. of questionable authenticity

2. (sometimes capital) of or like the Apocrypha

3. untrue; counterfeit

Other Word Forms

• apocryphally adverb
• apocryphalness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of apocryphal¹

First recorded in 1580–90; apocryph(a) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Much of “Flour” is concerned with the woman’s conversation with her driver about a parable from the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas that he is translating from Coptic—a tale, he says, about emptiness and unknowing.

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“The American Revolution” doesn’t just correct apocryphal errors and present fascinating blow-by-blows of key battles; it provides more dimension to major motivations and important incidents.

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Maybe it’s time to revive the old, possibly apocryphal Red Auerbach legends about fire alarms and turning off the air conditioning.

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An apocryphal story has George Washington breakfasting with Thomas Jefferson and referring to the Senate as a saucer intended to cool the passions of the intemperate lower chamber.

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Morgan’s reply may be apocryphal, but it encompasses the truism that investors should divorce their emotional response to the markets from the cold analysis that should underlie investment decisions, if possible.

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Related Words

• fictitious 
• inaccurate 
• mythical 
• unsubstantiated 
• untrue