Apocryphal
harduh-POK-ruh-ful
adjective
Definition
Of doubtful authenticity; widely circulated but probably untrue
Examples
“The apocryphal story about the president has been debunked many times.”
“Many apocryphal tales surround the founding of the city.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Apocryphal is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "spurious" or "dubious" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "authenticated".
Related GRE Words
erroneous
Wrong; incorrect; based on error
tenuous
Very weak or slight; insubstantial
bona fide
Genuine; real; made in good faith without fraud or deceit
genuine
Truly what something is said to be; authentic; sincere
specious
Superficially plausible but actually wrong; misleading
skeptical
Not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations
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