apocrypha

noun

apoc·​ry·​pha ə-ˈpä-krə-fə 

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

1

: writings or statements of dubious authenticity

2

capitalized

a

: books included in the Septuagint and Vulgate but excluded from the Jewish and Protestant canons of the Old Testament see Bible Table

b

: early Christian writings not included in the New Testament

Examples of apocrypha in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Unused material dug up in the code serves the role of apocrypha, illuminating, say, the possible significance of the God of Frenzied Flame through a storyline that was cut from the game before its release. —Gabriel Winslow-Yost, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

The apocrypha, which totals three-and-a-half hours of music, will finally come out on June 30 via a three-disc set titled Funky Nothingness. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2023

Anthony was a deviser of his own apocrypha. —E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2021

The apocrypha are a collection of Scriptures accepted by Catholics and Orthodox Christians as sacred but contested by Protestants. —Dallas News, 19 Sep. 2022

Some cocktails have a history so contested, so laden with switchbacks and apocrypha, the general experience is like opening a compass to find the needle spinning freely in place. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2022

Even Steve Jobs wouldn’t let his kids play with iPads, or so the apocrypha goes. —Carter Bays, Good Housekeeping, 6 June 2022

Why complicate a perfectly fun bunch of sequels with the strictures of continuity and apocrypha? —Adam Rogers, Wired, 11 Feb. 2021

Where Nay’s book was something of a meditation on Patriotic themes in Mormon teaching, the Bundy additions — this post-2014 apocrypha — change the entire document. —Leah Sottile, Longreads, 18 May 2018

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin, neuter plural (for scripta apocrypha "uncanonical writings") of Late Latin apocryphus "obscure, of doubtful authenticity, uncanonical," borrowed from Greek apókryphos "concealed, secret, obscure," verbal adjective of apokrýptein "to hide (from), keep hidden (from)," from apo- apo- + krýptein "to conceal, hide" — more at crypt

First Known Use

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

apocrypha

1 of 2 singular or plural noun

apoc·​ry·​pha

ə-ˈpäk-rə-fə

: writings or statements of doubtful authenticity

apocryphal

ə-ˈpä-krə-fəl

adjective

Apocrypha

2 of 2 singular or plural noun

: books included in some collections of biblical writings but excluded from the Jewish and Protestant canons of the Old Testament see bible