Rumour

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹuːmə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. A transmission of information that is not officially validated and typically involves elements of speculation or hearsay
2. Information passed informally without solid proof or confirmation
3. News or details circulated without official verification and often based on speculation

Etymology: Latin "rumor" meant something like the noise of a crowd: the murmur, buzz or roar of many voices. That sound origin is still audible in the word's history, since it traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to shout, roar." The crowd's din was the original meaning, and the sense of gossip came later, as people discussing an event in a crowd spread what they had heard before anyone could check it. The word passed into Middle English from Old French, which had adopted the Latin form as "rumour" or "rumor." Its usage reflected the same idea of talk moving through a crowd, unverified and passing from mouth to mouth, which is exactly what the modern sense still describes.

Synonyms: gossip, hearsay, report, tale, story

Antonyms: fact, truth, certainty, verification, evidence