myth

/ˈmɪθ/

• Noun
• an idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true
1. It's an enduring/persistent myth that money brings happiness.
2. The book dispels/refutes/debunks many myths about early American history. [=shows that many beliefs about early American history are wrong]
3. I don't believe the myths and legends about/surrounding this forest.
4. Contrary to popular myth, no monster lives in this lake.
• a story that was told in an ancient culture to explain a practice, belief, or natural occurrence
1. creation myths [=stories about how people and the world were first created]
• such stories as a group
1. a student of Greek myth [=mythology]