English Dictionary | Thesaurus | Translator | COBUILD Grammar Patterns | Scrabble | Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
| Sign Up | Log In
 
English
Menu
English Dictionary Thesaurus Translator Grammar Scrabble Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
Sign Up Log In

Definition of 'apocryphal'

Word Frequency

apocryphal

(əpɒkrɪfəl )
adjective
An apocryphal story is one which is probably not true or did not happen, but which may give a true picture of someone or something.
This may well be an apocryphal story.
There are various other versions of this -- probably apocryphal -- story.
Synonyms: dubious, legendary, doubtful, questionable   More Synonyms of apocryphal
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency

apocryphal in British

(əˈpɒkrɪfəl )
adjective
1. 
of questionable authenticity
2. (sometimes capital)
of or like the Apocrypha
3. 
untrue; counterfeit
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
apocryphally (aˈpocryphally)
  adverb
Word Frequency

apocryphal in American

(əˈpɑkrəfəl ; əpäˈkrəfəl)
adjective
1. 
of doubtful authorship or authenticity
2. 
not genuine; spurious; counterfeit
3.  [A-]
of or like the Apocrypha
SIMILAR WORDS:  ficˈtitious
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Example sentences containing 'apocryphal'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
`I mean, I've heard a story, though I wasn't sure how apocryphal it was. Anthony Masters CASCADES - THE DAY OF THE DEAD (2001)A very obscure one, though - and again referred to only cryptically, even in the more apocryphal works of the time. Pritchard, John NIGHT SISTERS (2001)Then, the day he decided to pull out -- that was probably apocryphal, but when his money was just about gone -- suddenly he struck lucky. Innes, Hammond HIGH STAND (2001)

Trends of 'apocryphal'

Used Occasionally. apocryphal is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

View usage for:

Nearby words of 'apocryphal'

  • apocopic
  • apocrine
  • Apocrypha
  • apocryphal
  • Apocryphal Gospels
  • apocryphalness
  • apocryphon

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'A'

Related Terms of 'apocryphal'

  • Apocryphal Gospels

Source

Definition of apocryphal from the Collins English Dictionary

Distributives

Distributives are determiners that are used to talk about how something is shared out or divided. The distributives are each, every, either, and neither. They are used with a singular noun. Each chi...
Read more about 'Distributives'
Word of the day:
Gaia
the goddess of the earth, who bore Uranus and by him Oceanus , Cronus , and the Titans
See full definition
Apr 22, 2018
Fed up with the great British weather? Here’s how to afford that dream summer escape
From planning early to knowing where to look, these top tips will help you fulfil your summer holiday desires
Read more
The etymology behind 4 eggs-ellent Springtime words
We’ve explored the diverse etymology of 4 eggs-ellent words associated with spring.
Read more
Up Lit, Alexa Laugh & Meet Me at McDonald’s Hair: March’s Words In The News
Catch up on the latest words in the news this March with Robert Groves.
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Scrabble score for 'apocryphal': 22
Latest Word Submissions
Barrecore Apr 18, 2018
wido Apr 18, 2018
centimorgan Apr 17, 2018
gender expansive Apr 16, 2018
Carthritis Apr 15, 2018
Submit View More
Browse the English Dictionary
  • #
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z
View all dictionaries...
  • View more
  • API
  • B2B Partnerships
  • Advertising
  • Word Banks
  • Collins COBUILD
  • Collins ELT
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact us
  • Languages
  • English
  • Thesaurus
  • Grammar
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Chinese
  • Portuguese
  • Hindi
  • Word Lists
  • Word of the Year
  • Scrabble
  • COBUILD Anniversary
© Collins 2018