Word of the Day - 02/22/26
apocryphal
/ə'pɑkrəfəl/(adj.): being of questionable authenticity
The apocryphal tale of the hero's strength was often retold, though its veracity was doubted.
(adj.): of or belonging to the Apocrypha
The illuminated manuscript included several apocryphal books, such as Tobit and Judith, that were preserved in certain early Christian Bibles.
Word Origin
The word 'apocryphal' originates from the Ancient Greek word 'apokryphos' (apokryphos), meaning 'hidden' or 'secret'. It is formed from the prefix 'apo-' (away from) and the verb 'kryptein' (to hide). From Greek, it passed into Latin as 'apocryphus' before entering English. Initially, it referred to sacred texts that were kept secret or withheld from public reading. Later, its meaning evolved to describe stories or statements of doubtful authenticity, often widely circulated but unverified.
Words with similar origins include 'crypt' (from Latin 'crypta', from Greek 'kryptos' meaning hidden), 'cryptic' (from Greek 'kryptikos' meaning fit for hiding), and 'cryptography' (from Greek 'kryptos' meaning hidden, and 'graphein' meaning to write). The element Krypton also shares this origin as it was named for its elusive nature and difficulty to isolate from liquid air.
As a reminder, here are all of the words from this week:
expurgate exculpate expiate
apocryphal
See if you can remember all of this week's words! Here is a sentence that includes all seven, followed by a version that simplifies them to help you remember:
Overcome by an ill-advised spell of limerence for the prosecutor, the ultramontane judge, moving to expurgate the testimony he deemed apocryphal (even though it clearly exculpated the defendant), delivered an eccentric aside on tmesis as if that could expiate his lapse in judicial decorum.Overcome by an ill-advised crush on the prosecutor, the judge from beyond the mountains, moving to strike the testimony he considered unreliable (even though it clearly cleared the defendant), delivered a strange aside on wordplay as if that could make up for his lapse in judicial decorum.