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

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

But she garnered urban legend status for making the call to kill off one major and beloved character.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

The movie’s title and setting—an endless expanse of deserted, largely furniture-free office space bathed in sickly yellow—come from a crowd-sourced urban legend or “creepypasta” that spread online before the pandemic.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 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

“There’s an urban legend about that scoreboard, you know.”

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia