apocryphal
[ uh-pok-ruh-fuhl ]
/ əˈpɒk rə fəl /
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adjective
of doubtful authorship or authenticity.
Ecclesiastical.
- (initial capital letter) of or relating to the Apocrypha.
- of doubtful sanction; uncanonical.
false; spurious: He told an apocryphal story about the sword, but the truth was later revealed.
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Origin of apocryphal
First recorded in 1580–90; apocryph(a) + -al1
OTHER WORDS FROM apocryphal
a·poc·ry·phal·ly, adverba·poc·ry·phal·ness, nounWords nearby apocryphal
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for apocryphal
British Dictionary definitions for apocryphal
apocryphal
/ (əˈpɒkrɪfəl) /
adjective
of questionable authenticity
(sometimes capital) of or like the Apocrypha
untrue; counterfeit
Derived forms of apocryphal
apocryphally, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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