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?

---

Etymology

Origin of urban legend

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

urban legend

Now 31 at the helm of a financial-services firm, Rugen is in the pool of wealthy rent-stabilized tenants that New Yorkers whisper about as urban legend.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 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

The different procedures, like the sewing of eyelashes, I think that’s an urban legend.

From Salon ● Apr. 18, 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

Sure, I hung out around Red Witch Bridge in the middle of the night, but that was in the cover of the trees with an urban legend and a baseball bat as weapons.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia