apocryphal

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Of, or pertaining to, the Apocrypha.

   • […] ‘Tobit and his dog baith are altogether heathenish and apocryphal, and none but a prelatist or a papist would draw them into question. I doubt I hae been mista'en in you, friend.’
   • Besides all this, he had read his Bible, including the apocryphal books; […]
2. 2

   Of doubtful authenticity, or lacking authority

   Of doubtful authenticity, or lacking authority; not regarded as canonical.

   • Many scholars consider the stories of the monk Teilo to be apocryphal.
   • The structural anthropologist urges us to ignore the orthodox who labor so patiently trying to eliminate the apocryphal variants from the one true text.
3. 3

   Of dubious veracity

   Of dubious veracity; of questionable accuracy or truthfulness; anecdotal or in the nature of an urban legend.

   • There is an apocryphal tale of a little boy plugging the dike with his finger.
   • I confess I was a little dubious at first whether it was not one of those apocryphal tales often passed off upon inquiring travellers like myself, and which have brought our general character for veracity into such unmerited reproach.
4. ›+ 1 more definitionshow fewer

   1. 4

      Of or relating to the Apocrypha.

The neighborhood

• neighborApocrypha
• neighborapocryphalist
• neighborapocryphally
• neighborapocryphalness