urban legend

American  

noun

1. a modern story of obscure origin and with little or no supporting evidence that spreads spontaneously in varying forms and often has elements of humor, moralizing, or horror.

   Are there alligators living in the New York City sewer system, or is that just an urban legend?

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Etymology

Origin of urban legend

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

urban legend

Renting a glitzy Manhattan apartment for half the market rate while raking in a six-figure salary is urban legend for most New Yorkers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Officials now have the unenviable task of euthanising the creepy-crawlies, an insect so hardy it spawned an urban legend they could survive a nuclear blast.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Nonetheless, the urban legend of American Muslims rejoicing at 9/11 took on a life of its own, which neatly fit a preexisting narrative casting all Muslims as irredeemable enemies of the West.

From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2025

Hopefully, the mall embraces the documentary and sees it as an opportunity to bring the community of Providence back to this incredible urban legend.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2025

Halliday’s Easter egg gradually moved into the realm of urban legend, and the ever-dwindling tribe of gunters gradually became the object of ridicule.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline