apocryphal

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Havel tells the apocryphal story of a greengrocer who refuses to place a sign proclaiming “Workers of the world, unite!” in his shop window.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Much of “Flour” is concerned with the woman’s conversation with her driver about a parable from the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas that he is translating from Coptic—a tale, he says, about emptiness and unknowing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

Morgan’s reply may be apocryphal, but it encompasses the truism that investors should divorce their emotional response to the markets from the cold analysis that should underlie investment decisions, if possible.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2025

This apocryphal trivia hasn’t been entirely debunked; it’s more accurate to say that it is roundly doubted.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2024

The story is probably apocryphal, but its import isn’t.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann