apocryphal
/icons/point.icon FICTITIOUS, FABULOUS, LEGENDARY, MYTHICAL, APOCRYPHAL mean having the nature of something imagined or invented.
FICTITIOUS implies fabrication and suggests artificiality or contrivance more than deliberate falsification or deception.
e.g. fictitious characters
FABULOUS stresses the marvelous or incredible character of something without necessarily implying impossibility or actual nonexistence.
e.g. a land of fabulous riches
LEGENDARY suggests the elaboration of invented details and distortion of historical facts produced by popular tradition.
e.g. the legendary exploits of Davy Crockett
MYTHICAL implies a purely fanciful explanation of facts or the creation of beings and events out of the imagination.
e.g. mythical creatures
APOCRYPHAL implies an unknown or dubious source or origin or may imply that the thing itself is dubious or inaccurate.
e.g. a book that repeats many apocryphal stories
adjective
(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true:
〈逸話などが〉捏造（ねつぞう）された, でっち上げられた; 出典の疑わしい, 偽の
e.g. an apocryphal story about a former president.
(also Apocryphal) of or belonging to the Apocrypha:
〖しばしばA-〗聖書外典の
e.g. the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas.
DERIVATIVES
apocryphally adverb