Rumor

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹuːmə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. A piece of information or story that is passed from person to person without confirmation of its accuracy
2. An unverified account that spreads informally among individuals and is often shared without any confirmation of its truthfulness or accuracy
3. A narrative or claim that circulates informally and is typically based on hearsay rather than verified facts

Etymology: The Latin "rūmor" meant "common talk" or "hearsay," but its roots lie in sound rather than gossip. Traced back to the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root *h₃rewH-, it meant "to shout" or "to roar," so the original idea was of a noise that spreads through a crowd. The Romans applied it to the buzz of voices that moves through a community, and the sense of a loud, general murmur gave way to the notion of news that passes from mouth to mouth without anyone quite knowing its source. The word reached English through Middle English "rumour," borrowed from Old French "rumeur," which carried the same sense of public talk. Early English uses kept something of the original noise: the word could describe a din or clamour as well as a report. Over time the sound dropped away and the meaning narrowed to unverified information, which is why a rumor is defined today by what it lacks, namely confirmation.

Synonyms: gossip, hearsay, tale, scuttlebutt, legend

Antonyms: fact, truth, certainty, reality, proof