apocryphal

[ uh-pok-ruh-fuhl ]

/ əˈpɒk rə fəl /

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See synonyms for apocryphal on Thesaurus.com

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, noun

Words nearby apocryphal

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

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

How to use apocryphal in a sentence

The details of that night in Baltimore nearly 25 years ago and the apocryphal tale it spawned are the subject of a narrative podcast set to be released Monday and hosted by die-hard Orioles fans Sam Dingman and Mac Montandon.
New podcast revisits rumor about Cal Ripken, Kevin Costner and a mysterious power outage|Scott Allen|October 25, 2021|Washington Post
That may be at least partly apocryphal, but there’s no question that elected officials today can expect less privacy than that enjoyed by politicians in the 1960s.
As Ted Cruz has learned, once you step into the spotlight, you can’t easily step out|Philip Bump|February 18, 2021|Washington Post
It had become an apocryphal tale of sex, violence and the culture of impunity at elite institutions.
Harvard students told a lurid tale of murder. Was it true?|Marin Cogan|December 11, 2020|Washington Post
Although apocryphal, Sigmund Freud supposedly remarked, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar,” which was meant to suggest that cigars are not always phallic symbols.
More Penises Are Appearing On TV And In Film – But Why Are Nearly All Of Them Prosthetic?|LGBTQ-Editor|October 10, 2020|No Straight News

This, after a possibly apocryphal story about a man who had a knitting needle unceremoniously stabbed through his penis, preventing both his escape and his avoidance of appearing in a sex column 40 years later.
Sex Is Dead: Discuss|Eugene Robinson|August 10, 2020|Ozy
The quote is apocryphal, but that has not changed its significance for Army football players.
A West Point MVP Who Never Played a Down|Nicolaus Mills|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are plenty of examples of Christians editing Jewish apocryphal traditions for their own communities.
Jesus Christ, Baby Daddy?|Candida Moss|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many of the quotes are mysteriously sourced, apocryphal, or misattributed.
Russell Brand’s Revolution For Morons|Michael Moynihan|November 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Lovely stuff, but someone should tell the future congresswoman that every one of these quotes is apocryphal.
Fire the Crackpots of Congress! (And Replace Them with New Crackpots!)|Michael Moynihan|October 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
That semi-apocryphal quote aptly described the Britain of the 1970s.
How Margaret Thatcher Saved Britain and Changed the World|David Frum|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The apocryphal gospels contain many, and some are preserved by Persian and Arabian poets.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
Ice of such thickness on Lake Luna at this early date, however, surprised even that apocryphal person, the oldest inhabitant.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison
It also led to the conception of the marvelous legend of the cross in the apocryphal gospels and ancient traditions.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow
These last are of interest as indicating a familiar acquaintance with the apocryphal books in the early centuries.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow
Our author cites likewise some of her accusers, and considers most of the current sayings against her as apocryphal.
Frdric Mistral|Charles Alfred Downer

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, adverb

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

apocryphal

Origin of apocryphal

OTHER WORDS FROM apocryphal

Words nearby apocryphal

Words related to apocryphal

How to use apocryphal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for apocryphal

Derived forms of apocryphal