apocrypha
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apocrypha¹
- /əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə/
Where it comes from
From Middle English apocrypha, apocrifa, apocrif, from Late Latin apocryphus (“secret, not approved for public reading”), from Ancient Greek ἀπόκρυφος (apókruphos, “hidden, obscure”, thus “(books) of unknown authorship”), from ἀπό (apó, “from”) + κρύπτω (krúptō, “to hide”). Properly plural (the singular would be apocryphon), but commonly treated as a collective singular. “Apocryphal” meaning “of doubtful authenticity” is first attested in English in 1590.
noun
- plural of apocryphon
noun apocrypha · apocryphas
- Something, as a writing, that is of doubtful authorship or authority (formerly also used attributively). But it may be objected, that these books being in the Jews' canon , ought to be acknowledged for divinely inspired , rather than the apocryphas that never were in it
Apocrypha²
Where it comes from
See apocrypha.
proper noun
-
That group of works which formed part of the Septuagint, but not of the Hebrew canon recognized by the Jews, and which is considered by some Christians to form an authentic part of Scripture, but which is rejected by others (namely by Protestants).
Similar: Deuterocanon
Translations
Every language
noun writing of a doubtful authorship
| Español | apócrifo |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 外典 gaiten, アポクリファ apokurifa |
| 中文 | 外典 wàidiǎn, 旁經 /旁经 pángjīng, 偽經 /伪经 wěijīng |
| Português | apócrifo |
| Deutsch | Apokryphe |
| Русский | апо́криф apókrif |
name writings recognized by some but not all Christians
| Español | textos apócrifos |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 外典 gaiten, アポクリファ apokurifa |
| 中文 | 外典 |
| Português | apócrifos |
| Deutsch | Apokryphen |
| Română | apocrife |
| Русский | апо́криф apókrif |
| עברית | סְפָרִים חִיצוֹנִים sfarím ẖitzoním |
Talk about this word "apocrypha." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/apocrypha. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. apocrypha. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/apocrypha "apocrypha." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/apocrypha.Cite this
@misc{apocrypha_2026,
title = {apocrypha},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/apocrypha},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
