Apocryphal

Definition

An apocryphal is a fact or story that is widely believed to be true, but is of questionable authenticity, and sometimes is proven to be false.

Example

A common apocryphal was that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree as a child, and said "I cannot tell a lie," when confronted. This story likely did not happen, or did not happen as described. These stories are widely believed however, because while there is no way to prove them true, there is also no surefire way to prove them false. Other common apocryphal stories include Bible passages, urban legends, and other historical anecdotes.

Historical Context

The term used to be reserved for Biblical passages that were not in the Torah or New Testament because their divinity could not be determined