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

The story may be an urban legend, but it illustrates a real danger of artificial intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 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

To further compound the chance of peril, an urban legend started circulating sometime in the 1690s that it was unlucky to have 13 people around a table or in a group, he explains.

From BBC • Dec. 14, 2024

Meanwhile, the elusive outdoor-grown banana has become something of an urban legend that speaks to deeper anxieties about the climate — an uncanny sign that the natural order has been upset.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2024

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