Rumour: Definition, Usage & Key Distinctions

Meaning 1：unverified information (rumour)

rumour 🔊

/ˈruː.mər/

A story or piece of information that is passed around but may not be true.

Rumour illustration showing two people whispering secretively in a social setting, depicting the spread of unconfirmed information.

unverified information 🔊

➕

/ʌnˈverɪfaɪd ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən/

Information or a story that circulates among people, the truth of which is not confirmed or may be false.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'rumor', meaning 'common talk, hearsay, noise'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a ROOM full of MORE whispers turning into a RUMOUR.

📖 Example

At school, a rumour spread that the principal was retiring, but no official news confirmed it. 🔊 At school, unverified information spread that the principal was retiring, but no official announcement was made.

🔗 Collocations

spread a rumour – To cause a piece of unverified information to circulate

rumour has it – People are saying (introducing a piece of circulating gossip)

start a rumour – To initiate the circulation of unverified information

🔄 Synonyms

gossip (n.) – Casual or unconstrained conversation about other people, typically involving details not confirmed as true.

hearsay (n.) – Information received from others that cannot be substantiated.

speculation (n.) – The forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence.

🚫 Antonyms

fact (n.) – A thing that is known or proved to be true.

truth (n.) – That which is in accordance with fact or reality.

🌱 Derivatives

rumoured (adj.) – Reported as a rumour; widely suspected but not confirmed.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'rumour' entered English via Anglo-French 'rumour' around the 14th century, tracing back to Latin 'rumor', which signified 'common talk' or 'noise'. This origin reflects its nature as information spreading audibly through a crowd, often divorced from a verifiable source.