rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryrumorUnverified report
noun / verb

rumor

ROO-mur/ˈrumər/

An unverified story or report passed among people.

A rumor about layoffs spreads through the office before lunch.

A small chain of whispered conversation: a man quietly passes a report to a woman, who turns toward another listener with a doubtful expression, suggesting information circulating without confirmation.
Etymology
rumorLatinnoise, common talk, hearsay

Latin rumor covered both audible clamor and circulating public talk. The English sense carries forward the latter: a report passed around, without its circulation establishing that it is true.

In context

Yesterday's World0:11
That's not a rumor. That's not a documentary exaggeration. That's a real village settlement report written by the very people running the system.
Life in Colonial India Under British Rule

More examples

  • She checks the facts instead of repeating the rumor.
  • Rumors of a price increase worry local shoppers.
  • The company is rumored to be opening a new store.

Forms

rumor · rumors · rumored · rumoring

Similar words

gossip
Usually concerns people's private lives and need not be unverified.
hearsay
Emphasizes secondhand information rather than a story's circulation.
report
Can describe verified information as well as unconfirmed claims.