What does "apocrypha" mean?
plural of apocryphon
Apocrypha
/əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə/ name, noun
name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: plural of apocryphon
- Grammar: apocrypha is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: apocrypha collection, biblical apocrypha, deuterocanonical books, dubious texts.
- Useful contrasts: authentic scriptures, authoritative texts, canonical books.
- Usage evidence: 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
How to use "apocrypha"
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Source and review context
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 plural of apocryphon form-of, plural
- 2 Something, as a writing, that is of doubtful authorship or authority (formerly also used attributively). uncountable, usually
"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"
- 3 14 books of the Old Testament included in the Vulgate (except for II Esdras) but omitted in Jewish and Protestant versions of the Bible; eastern Christian churches (except the Coptic Church) accept all these books as canonical; the Russian Orthodox Church accepts these texts as divinely inspired but does not grant them the same status wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 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). plural, plural-only
Synonyms
All synonyms apocrypha collectionbiblical apocryphadeuterocanonical booksdubious textsdubious writingsquestionable manuscripts
Antonyms
authentic scripturesauthoritative textscanonical bookscanonical texts
Example
"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"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "apocrypha"?
Common synonyms include: apocrypha collection, biblical apocrypha, deuterocanonical books, dubious texts, dubious writings, questionable manuscripts.
How do you use "apocrypha" in a sentence?
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
How do you pronounce "apocrypha"?
Pronounced /əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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, “I 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.
Etymology 2
See apocrypha.