a. and sb. [f. as prec. + -AL.] A. adj. Of doubtful authenticity; spurious, fictitious, false; fabulous, mythical.
a. orig. of a writing, statement or story.
1590. J. Greenwood, Sland. Art, B ij b. We hold them … not only a babling, but apochriphall & Idolatrous.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. i. 492. If but one word be true … In all th’ apocryphal romance.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq., II. App. 569. The tale has a somewhat apocryphal sound.
b. spec. Of or belonging to the Jewish and early Christian uncanonical literature.
1615. Curry-C. for Coxe-C., ii. 93. Peremptory … against the Canonizing of these Apogriphall bookes.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 28, ¶ 6. Our Apocryphal Heathen God [Bel] … in conjunction with the Dragon.
1865. Lecky, Ration. (1878), I. 210. The apocryphal gospels … were for the most part of Gnostic origin.
c. gen. Unreal, counterfeit, sham, ‘imitation.’
1610. B. Jonson, Alchemist, I. i. A whoreson, upstart, apocryphal captain.
1649. C. Walker, Hist. Indep., II. 226. This Agreement was … complained of in the apocryphal House of Commons.
1843. Jerrold, Punch’s Lett., xx. Wks. I. 473. He lived by putting off pencils, with apocryphal lead in them.
† B. sb. An apocryphal writing. Obs. rare.
1661. Grand Debate, 13. Some Psalm or Scripture Hymn … instead of that Apocryphal [the Benedicite].
1677. J. Hanmer, View of Antiq., 419 (T.). Nicephorus and Anastasius … did rank these epistles in the number of apocryphals.
