Definition of "apocrypha"

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

a. 1704, John Locke, An Essay for the Understanding of St. Paul's Epistles

Our entymological[sic – meaning etymological] approaches to the I or Change in the I Ching seem to confirm one of the well known apocryphas, I-Wei Ch'ien tso-tu.

1975, Jung Young Lee, The I Ching and Modern Man: Essays on Metaphysical Implications of Change‎, Secaucus, NJ: University Books, page 24

Parts of the city were unearthed and we could clearly see an almost square citadel with massive walls and a deep moat, beyond which were the outer residential quarters, shopping centre, etc. This made me think of an apocrypha of the Bogomil teaching: 'I, the prophet Isaiah, blessed among the prophets by our Lord God Jesus Christ, have come by the Will of God to tell you what will happen in the last days of the human race...' He was talking of an uncertain future, while here before us we had a tale of realities of the past.

1976, Bogomil Nonev, translated by Petko Drenkov, A Journey Through the Ages‎, Sofia Press, page 41

We are the womenwith thread bagsanchored deep in our bosomscontaining blood agreementssilver coins and cloves of garlicand an apocryphaof Nanny’s secrets.

1993, Lorna Goodison, “We Are the Women”, in Maura Healy, editor, Quartet of Poems‎, Longman, page 92

The story of the Arsenal mural has drifted, over the years, into something more closely resembling a myth. What should be straightforward details are now shrouded in fog, tangled by apocrypha.

2020 June 8, Rory Smith, “The Shirts Were Red. The Fans Were All White.”, in New York Times‎, archived from the original on June 8, 2020