Of doubtful authenticity; widely circulated but probably not true; fictitious or fabricated.
From Greek 'apokryphos,' meaning 'hidden' or 'secret,' originally referring to religious texts of uncertain authorship excluded from the biblical canon. The word entered English in the 16th century, gradually extending to describe any story or account of questionable authenticity.
Think of apocryphal as 'a-pock-ry-full'—a pocket full of stories that might not be true! The religious connection helps: just as some gospels were hidden/excluded from the Bible, apocryphal stories are often hidden from the truth. They sound good but lack solid evidence.
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