proper noun
Apocrypha
Biblical books accepted in some scriptural canons but excluded from others.
The class compares how different churches classify the Apocrypha.
Etymology
The Greek source means “hidden.” In biblical classification, the name became attached to writings whose scriptural standing differs among religious traditions, rather than simply to texts physically concealed.
More examples
- This edition prints the Apocrypha in a separate section.
- The lecture examines a passage from the Apocrypha.
- The translator studies several books of the Apocrypha.
Similar words
- deuterocanon
- Refers to certain books accepted as canonical by some churches.